


Stranger Than Fiction - His Reality

by Wguy



Series: Stranger Than Fiction [2]
Category: Doki Doki Literature Club! (Visual Novel)
Genre: Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Multi, Post-Canon, Strong Language, almost-sort-of-smut-but-not-quite, not sure what constitutes graphic but better safe than sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-27
Updated: 2019-01-22
Packaged: 2019-03-24 18:40:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 138,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13817142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wguy/pseuds/Wguy
Summary: The four members of the Literature Club have finally made it to the real world and met the Player. You'd think a life of fun-filled, romantic misadventures would be on the horizon for them, right?Well, it seems reality has different plans.It might be his world, but it's their story.





	1. Don't Judge A Book By Its Cover

It’s difficult to describe the oddity of tactile sensations to those who’ve lived their whole lives experiencing them. For Monika and the rest of the Literature Club, everything was a new sensation. The coarse material of the chair touching the exposed parts of their legs, the chill of the glass of cold water in their hands, and the incessant ticking of the clock on their host’s desk.

His name was Darwin, and Monika couldn’t keep her eyes off of him. He wasn’t especially interesting to look at; his overall well-kept, but average, appearance suggesting someone who knew how to take care of themselves but didn’t really put forth any effort beyond that. Still, Monika had wanted so badly to meet the enigmatic Player she adored so much that she was more than happy with the current sight before her.

After the four girls had been rescued from the collapsing digital nightmare that was once their reality, Darwin quickly escorted them out of the chamber they arrived in and into what appeared to be his office. Immediately after offering each of the girls a seat, Darwin rushed out of the room as quickly as he’d entered it.

The office space was adequately sized for one person to work in, though it was a little cramped for five (despite featuring enough seats for all of them). The concrete room was the most pleasant place to look at the four had seen so far, the floor adorned with a beautifully woven, multicolored rug. Expertly crafted wooden cabinets surrounded the walls; each seemingly filled to the brim with neatly arranged binders. The back wall was the exception, featuring a large machine whose purpose was unknown to anyone in the Literature Club. On Darwin’s desk, beside a computer terminal and several scattered pieces of paper, was an ornate clock that appeared well maintained despite its clear age.

Darwin swiftly returned, having shed his lab coat for a casual jeans and t-shirt, carrying a tray holding four glasses of water. The girls, having entered this reality still sporting their school uniforms, were quick to accept the offering. Now, Darwin was sitting in silence atop his desk, across from the four girls. It was unclear if he was allowing them a moment to recover, or simply taking the time to gather his own thoughts.

Although Monika’s gaze never left their savior, the other three girls were having significantly different reactions to their current situation. Sayori was taking small, but consistent sips from her drink. The sweet girl was clearly disturbed by her many near-death experiences and was struggling to hold herself together. Yuri had taken an initial swig of her water but hadn’t touched it since; seemingly more interested in whatever Darwin was going to say next. Natsuki was also apparently waiting for Darwin to speak, having already finished her drink, while a scowl adorned her face. Whether in anger or just annoyance was uncertain, but with Natsuki it could honestly be both.

Taking a sharp inhale, drawing the attention of the one girl who was lost in her own thoughts, Darwin finally broke the silence.

“So… you may have noticed we’re in a bunker. I promise I’m not one of those paranoid, anti-government, doomsday prepper-types…” Darwin awkward stated while scratching the right side of his face with his index finger. None of the girls knew how to respond to that statement, even Monika was briefly taken out of her stupor. Darwin emitted an embarrassed chuckle when he noticed that his comment had only increased the tension in the air, and then cleared his throat to speak again. “I’m sure you must feel overwhelmed by all the questions you have right now. I think I can provide some context that will answer most of them, if you’ll permit me to expound for a bit?”

“No, please, don’t trouble yourself,” Natsuki sarcastically responded, her visage holding the same bitter expression. “I enjoy being left in the dark when it comes to the nature of my existence.”

“I concur; the mystery does have a certain exhilarating quality!” Yuri added genuinely, not recognizing the sardonic nature of her friend’s comment. It took a couple seconds of silence before the purple-haired girl’s joyful countenance transformed into an embarrassed expression once she realized her mistake. “A-ah, you weren’t being sincere…”

Sayori and Monika weren’t saying anything, both keeping their eyes fixed on their host. Natsuki and Yuri, noticing their friends’ focus, shifted their attention back to Darwin, indicating their permission for him to proceed.

“Roughly five months ago, the video game ‘Doki Doki Literature Club!’ hit the digital marketplace. It didn’t happen overnight but, eventually, word spread about a cutesy dating sim that was… more than it let on, to say the least. Unsurprisingly, the Internet’s love of self-aware narratives, creepy shit, and anime girls resulted in a (relatively) massive cult following,” Darwin explained, far more calmly than when he initially started this conversation.

However, with a slow turn of his head Darwin dropped his stoic composure, seemingly becoming lost in his own thoughts. There was an unnerving moment of silence as Darwin stared blankly down the empty hallway, the expression on his face alternating between confusion and frustration. The members of the Literature Club shared uncomfortable glances, unsure how to react to this odd behavior. Turning back towards the four girls, Darwin immediately became flustered when he realized what he was doing.

“Oh crap, sorry about that. I… forgot what I was talking about,” Darwin admitted while scratching his right cheek again. Although nobody was actually satisfied with that explanation, none of the four girls decided to press the issue. “Anyways, obviously I was a fan of the game, though I didn’t really think much of it at first. Yet, even after getting the best possible ending, something about the conclusion left me feeling… unsatisfied. I realized that the bittersweet finale was ruined by one cruel element of the game’s design; something that made it truly impossible to find any happiness in the Literature Club.”

“The Void,” Sayori abruptly stated, breaking her silence, to which Darwin nodded in affirmation. “All great stories leave their endings open enough that you can imagine the beloved characters having lives after the narrative ends. But our story was different. Best case, the game resets and we live the whole thing over again. Worst case, we’d be stuck in that… nightmare realm. Forever.”

“…What the fuck are you guys talking about?” Natsuki managed to say, being the only one who managed to respond after hearing Sayori’s sudden and uncharacteristically bleak soliloquy. “I get the resetting part, we were living in a video game after all, but what the hell is the Void?”

“It is– it was where we’d go whenever the game closed,” Monika explained to Natsuki, while never completely looking away from Darwin. “You wouldn’t have known about it, since you only became aware of the game near the end of our time there. Still, I bet if you think about it, even if you don’t remember the place itself, you’ll recall doing something innocuous one moment then feeling unnerved the next. And you wouldn’t be quite sure why you felt that way. That was it. That was the Void.”

Natsuki’s brow furrowed as she tried to recall a moment like what Monika was referring to. A flash of realization appeared in her eyes, accompanying dilated pupils and small beads of sweat across her forehead. Yuri, after seeing Natsuki’s reaction, seemed to be making every effort not to remember her time in that digital hellscape. Monika turned her full attention back to Darwin, noticing a downcast expression on his face.

“After everything that’d happened to you guys, every horrible thing you experienced, I couldn’t let your story end like that. I found myself… caring about what happened to all of you, even if you didn’t actually exist,” Darwin added, though he quickly noticed that his last comment had left the girls more confused than they were previously. “…What? Did I say something weird?”

“You mean you ‘thought’ we didn’t exist, right?” Monika asked, her enamored behavior giving way to concern. “That’s why you saved us, because you figured out what we really were… right?”

Darwin looked at the four girls, his eyes conveying recognition that a mistake had been made, though it was impossible to tell with whom he was placing the blame. The odd young man’s gaze turned away from the quartet, as he tried to determine how best to respond. As the suspense grew for what felt like an eternity, punctuated by the ever-ticking clock, Darwin took a deep breath and faced his guests once more.

“Over a million people downloaded this game, which advertised the same experiences, the same scares, and the same emotional turmoil. There aren’t millions of Sayoris, Natsukis, Yuris, and Monikas festering in computers all over the world, because there’s no way a small game company would accidentally create artificial intelligence just to release it onto the masses. The characters might have been designed to simulate self-awareness, but that’s all it was. A façade. I’m sorry to say it, but none of you were ever re–” With each passing second, Darwin’s voice became more and more frustrated; until he abruptly stopped talking.

Swiftly, Darwin grabbed the clock on his desk, flipped open a small wooden panel with his thumb, and jammed a nearby pencil into the inner workings of the device. So much for well maintained. The four girls were surprised, maybe even a little frightened, by his sudden action. Still, none of them were complaining that the incessant ticking had finally ceased, a sentiment Darwin shared based on his look of pure relief.

“Oh my god, that’s so much better…” Darwin said before his visage changed to show that something was perplexing him. “…I don’t remember how I got this. Who gave this clock to me?”

Darwin pondered for a moment before remembering that he wasn’t alone. After unceremoniously dropping the now silenced device onto his desk, seemingly unconcerned as tumbled off of his workstation and onto the floor, Darwin gestured for his guest to follow him. Re-entering the connecting concrete hallway, illuminated by multiple buzzing florescent lights, Darwin resumed his explanation as the four girls kept pace with him.

“Anyways, I couldn’t get over how your story ended. I tried playing with mods, I read fanfiction, hell I even wrote some. Nothing gave me any closure because none of it felt… authentic,” Darwin paused his speech as they approached a familiar room. Entering the enclosed space, the four girls spied the window into the same chamber where they were pulled into this new reality.

Now that they weren’t rushing out of it, the members of the Literature Club noticed details they’d previously overlooked. The main room featured several other separated chambers, each locked behind an electronic door and containing a strange contraption (some in various states of disrepair). Under the windowsill of the room closest to them was a complex piece of machinery, connected to a moderately sized laptop computer.

“So, in order to figure out what would’ve actually happened to you guys after the game ended, I created a… simulation,” Darwin explained, gesturing to the smaller of the two devices. “Using the original game and your character files as a starting point, I created a world that would expand and grow as your story progressed. In order for it to be realistic, I had to make you guys a little more… three-dimensional. I encoded knowledge that eighteen-year-old high school girls would be expected to possess, especially if it related to your individual interests. That wasn’t enough, however, and I needed a means of better contextualizing your existences to the larger world.”

“The fake memories,” Monika suddenly added, as thoughts of her nonexistent childhood and family crossed her mind. “That’s why we remember things that never happened. The game implied we had lives outside of what the Player saw, even though we actually didn’t. So you had to give them to us.”

Monika had never told the other three girls about the discovery she made when they were still trapped in the virtual realm, so each of them was now silently processing this revelation. Sayori and Yuri were clearly distraught as they tried to separate which memories were real and which weren’t, but Natsuki was surprisingly composed.

The shortest club member was staring intensely at Darwin, but clearly not with the admiration Monika felt when gazing upon him. Instead, there seemed to be a look of judgment, whether positively or negatively couldn’t be determined just by observing her. Monika could see the gears in her pink-haired friend’s head turning but, given that Natsuki was being uncharacteristically non-confrontational, the former club president decided not to say anything.

“Yup, that’s exactly right Monika. The memories were meant to give you threads to explore in the ever-expanding universe. The only problem was that my actual programming skills are… subpar, to say the least,” Darwin sheepishly admitted while scratching the side of his face, firmly establishing it as a nervous tic. “It didn’t take me long to realize that the post-game part, let’s call it Act 5, wasn’t growing nearly as fast as it was supposed to. I almost thought about scrapping the whole project and starting over, but then I noticed that you guys weren’t just responding in-character to the scenarios playing out, you were organically reacting to what was happening around you. And that… changed things.”

Darwin carefully ran his right hand over his computer’s keyboard while he spoke, its screen displaying a console with the phrase “4/4 Items Downloaded” still blinking at the bottom. Darwin reached up as if to close the laptop, but then stopped himself, realizing that he was getting distracted once again.

“In any case, things only got worse when I tried to put the soundtrack back into the game. Whatever I did started rapidly corrupting the files and, rather than just crashing or shutting down, the simulator still tried to adapt to it. That’s why there was some pretty weird shit happening on your end,” Darwin understated, referring to the traumatic experiences they were forced to relive during Act 5. “So when I realized the game couldn’t be saved, I sent messages to you guys to at least let you know I was working on getting you out of there. Which… also didn’t work out. Fortunately, you guys still deduced who I was and were able to hold on long enough for me to construct a Digital Matter Materializer… God, I need to work on that name. DMM isn’t even a good acronym–”

Natsuki loudly clapped her hands together, the sudden noise bringing Darwin back to reality. Their host, flustered and annoyed by his own behavior, silently exited the room. The four girls quickly followed behind him, unsurprised that he didn’t say anything to them when he left. For good or for ill, they were starting to become accustomed to Darwin’s odd mannerisms.

“Long story short, I tried to create a DDLC mod that wrote itself and now four girls constructed from sapient computer programs are here in my creepy underground bunker,” Darwin summarized as the five of them re-entered the empty hallway. The unintended architect of the four girls’ current predicament sheepishly rubbed the back of his head before continuing: “So, y’know, make yourselves at home.”

* * *

 

Although Sayori had seen many strange things in her life, the sight of Yuri practically salivating was definitely a first for her.

As they walked through the long concrete hall together, the click of their sneakers echoing down the barely illuminated corridor, the four girls and their host made idle (and less stressful) chitchat.

Now that the full extent of their situation had been revealed to them, the four girls were struggling to process it all. Learning that your entire life and personality were fabricated isn’t something you quickly get over. Still, considering everything they’d already seen, this news didn’t faze the members of the Literature Club as much as it could have.

Monika, having had a head start to accept that her reality wasn’t what it seemed, was able to more comfortably deal with these latest revelations. Sure, she now had more nagging questions about herself than she used to, but ultimately Monika was just glad to be occupying the same reality as her beloved Player (even if he wasn’t quite what she was expecting).

Natsuki also managed to keep a level head. Although she still occasionally added snide remarks during the post-exposition small talk, ultimately she didn’t try to bite anyone’s head off, so that was a win in Sayori’s book. Most of the time Natsuki was just observing Darwin, as if waiting for him to do something she didn’t approve of. It didn’t take Sayori long to realize that, considering her history with her father, the pink-haired girl was preemptively on guard for this new authority figure turning out to not be as benevolent as initially advertised.

Sayori, like Monika, was a little more comfortable with the knowledge that their previous lives were falsehoods. Regardless, she clearly wasn’t her usually perky herself, and everyone knew it. The rest of the Literature Club might’ve assumed this was due to Darwin’s disclosure, but she’d been acting off since they escaped their old reality. Was what she saw during Act 5 still having that much of an effect on her? It did occur to Monika and Natsuki that maybe they were the ones reacting a little too well to everything that’d happened, and Sayori was the only one behaving reasonably.

Yet it was Yuri who seemed to be the most affected by what they’d learned. Although her morbid curiosity kept Yuri’s spirits high when they first arrived, the comparative banality of the truth ultimately scared her more. A malevolent god who treated them as mere playthings would’ve been easier for the gothic girl to accept, given her interests. The fact that their existence wasn’t only accidental, but that their “savior” had almost off-handedly deleted them was causing Yuri a great deal of distress. No one could claim she wasn’t trying to hold it together, but every now and then her body language would convey a panicked thought passing through her mind before she pushed her fear back under the surface.

Darwin must’ve noticed this, as he detoured from the path towards their accommodations for the evening and stopped outside the door to a different room. What they found inside made Yuri’s concerns melt away, leaving her mouth agape and her eyes wide with awe.

Inside was a library, a massive one. Every single inch of the walls were covered with humongous bookshelves, the front of each featuring what looked like hermetically sealed glass cabinet doors, likely for the purpose of preserving their contents.

Although everyone in the Literature Club obviously had a fondness for reading, Yuri’s excited reaction clearly demonstrated that she was the most passionate. Saying she was like a kid in a candy store would’ve been an understatement, as Yuri rapidly alternated between looking at different bookshelves, unsure where to begin.

“This–this is all yours?” Monika asked while overcoming her own initial surprise.

“Well, everyone needs a hobby, especially when you spend a lot of time alone. So I collect books,” Darwin replied as he leaned on the doorframe. His comment caused Yuri’s frenzied search to come to a sudden halt, the look of joy on her face replaced with trepidation.

“Oh… if these are part of a collection, then you probably wouldn’t want us messing with it…” Yuri posited; her downcast expression accentuated by concealing her hands behind her back.

“Oh no, I don’t give a shit. Take as many as you like. In fact–” Darwin said as he pressed a series of buttons on a terminal next to the door. The shelf closest to Yuri slowly sunk into the floor, making an audible “hiss” as it vanished. After a few seconds, punctuated by loud mechanical “clunking” sounds, a new bookcase rose in its place. “Yuri, you like horror, right?

Her jubilation restored, Yuri rushed over to the new shelf and threw open the doors. Inside she found a multitude of horror literature, arranged in alphabetical order. The reinvigorated girl rapidly sorted through the different tomes, trying to decide which ones to take with her.

Monika and Sayori, following her example, started raiding the other bookshelves for reading material. A smile spread across Darwin’s face as he watched the three girls run about, probably seeing more activity in this room today than he had in a long time.

Darwin was startled out of his enjoyment by the shortest of the four girls elbowing him in the side, likely unaware (or unconcerned) with the discomfort this action caused.

“I’ll admit; this is all pretty impressive. Still, I think it’s time to find out whether or not you’re actually a man of culture,” Natsuki said with her trademark smirk. “So, got any manga?”

Darwin’s only response to Natsuki was a blank stare, as if he was still recovering from her sudden jab. As the question finally registered in his brain, Darwin silently turned back to the terminal and punched up a new series of buttons. The bookshelf immediately to their left sank into the floor before another one rose to take its spot. Inside were rows of manga, arranged both alphabetically and numerically (for series).

“Hell. Yes. This just might work out after all,” Natsuki said as she strutted past the still wordless Darwin. Peering at the bookshelf’s contents, her cocky smile turned to a sour scowl. “Wait, what the shit? You have all seventy-four volumes of _Bleach_? And here I thought you might have decent tastes.”

“Natsuki, please, show our host some respect!” Yuri suddenly said as she piled an excessive amount books into her arms. “He might revoke our library privileges…”

“First off, if this guy tries to tell you–“ Natsuki briefly halted her speech as the faintest of blushes crept across her cheeks, but quickly subsided as she resumed her tirade “–o-or any of us what we can and can’t do, I’ll break his nose. Second, it’s not my fault he reads trashy manga.”

Natsuki turned her head towards Darwin, giving him the opportunity to rebuke her statements.

“…Just because I collect something doesn’t mean I like it, or even read it.” Darwin finally responded as he found his voice once again.

“Good answer,” Natsuki said with a chuckle as her toothy grin returned, Darwin giving a small smirk of his own in response.

Sayori was happy to see her friends overcoming their recent, world-upending experience. In a way, that was what the Literature Club had always been about, escaping your problems with the help of camaraderie and a good book (or seven, based on Yuri’s growing pile).

Yet, although Sayori wore a smile on her face, it was only a brave attempt to conceal her grief. She didn’t want to bring her friends down; after all, they were having fun for the first time in a while. Yet the creeping rainclouds hovered over her mind, all the more oppressing due to her recent experiences.

To avoid causing her friends any concern, Sayori grabbed a couple of books off of a nearby shelf, not bothering to actually see what she’d chosen. Although she was trying to be selfless by masking her feelings, the other members of the Literature Club knew their blue-eyed friend was in pain. The cover she was attempting hide it behind was almost paper-thin, yet none of them knew how to help her.

In the end, the four girls gathered their spoils and followed Darwin back into the hallway. Eventually they reached a dead end, featuring five identically designed doors, four of which were already open.

“Well, take your pick!” Darwin announced as each girl opened whichever door was closest to her. As they entered their new abodes, the quartet heard Darwin awkwardly chuckle back in the hallway before adding: “…Although they’re basically all the same.”

Sayori’s room had a very minimalist design to it. The walls were a stark, yet somehow calming white, matching the color of her queen sized bed and the carpet. A nearby black desk was bare, save for a single lamp. The only other piece of furniture was a black dresser, with a mirror attached to the top of it. Nearby Sayori spotted her private bathroom. It was small, but adequate for a single person, featuring all the basic amenities one would expect.

“You guys have had one hell of a day, so I thought it’d be good for us to all turn in for the night,” Darwin suggested. The four girls poked their heads out of their respective doorways to hear their host better. “So put on your PJs and get comfy, and I’ll see you all in the mor–”

Darwin’s statement came to an abrupt stop as his eyes widened but his expression remained the same, as if he’d realized something but his body hadn’t caught up with him.

“…You guys don’t have a change of clothes… you guys don’t have any…” Darwin trailed off before he suddenly dashed into the one remaining room at the end of the hall. The girls could hear the sound of hurried rummaging before their host exited his abode with a duffle bag over his shoulder, not bothering to close the door behind him. “Okay, so, I’m gonna be in my office all night if you guys need me. Regardless, I’ll see you all in the morning, and you guys can rest as late as you want.”

“Oh, no worries there, I’m sure we’ll sleep like babies knowing Big Brother is watching over us,” Natsuki sarcastically stated while pointing at a 360-degree camera mounted on the ceiling. All eyed turned towards Darwin, clearly expecting an explanation.

“…Hey, I said I wasn’t a paranoid anti-government type, not that I wasn’t just paranoid. Besides, there aren’t any cameras in your rooms.” Darwin stated. While he didn’t seem insincere in his claim, their host’s tone indicated he didn’t fully comprehend what the issue was. “Anyways, I’ll see you all tomorrow.”

Darwin hurried off back down the hall before anyone had a chance to say anything. Sayori reentered her room and tossed the books she’d borrowed onto her desk. The blue-eyed club president gave a cursory glance towards the ceiling, not spying any security cameras. At least Darwin seemed to have been honest about that part.

Stripping off her jacket, sweater, bowtie, and shoes, Sayori laid her weary form on the soft bed. The exhausted girl closed her heavy eyelids, allowing sleep to take her.

* * *

 

Yet it never came.

Try as she might, Sayori just could fall asleep. She must’ve tossed and turned for at least a half hour before she gave up on getting any rest.

Rising up from her bed, Sayori transitioned to her desk chair and grabbed hold of the reading material she acquired. The two books she’d unknowingly grabbed were titled _Wild Sex: The Science Behind Mating in the Animal Kingdom_ and _Manual of Low-Slope Roof Systems._ Sayori emitted an annoyed sigh as she laid the tomes back down, uncertain how to feel about a man who apparently collected every kind of book.

Bored out of her skull and unable sleep, Sayori meandered out of her room and into the hallway. To her surprise, she found the door to Yuri’s abode still open, where she spotted the purple-haired girl engrossed in one of the novels she’d nabbed.

Although Sayori tried to knock on the door as softly as possible, Yuri was so immersed in her horror story that she practically jumped out of her chair at the sudden noise. Once Yuri’s mind confirmed that her coral-haired friend wasn’t a masked serial killer, she quietly ushered Sayori into her abode.

“Having trouble sleeping too?” Sayori whispered as she took a seat on her friend’s bed.

“Well, I decided to do some light reading before resting… and I guess the time got away from me…” Yuri sheepishly admitted as she ran her violet hair between the fingers on her free hand.

Sayori gave a light chuckle at Yuri’s answer, though any actual joy behind it was clearly forced. Sayori was far too exhausted to put on a happy façade, and her feigned gaiety didn’t go unnoticed.

“Sayori, forgive me if I’m being too bold, but I noticed you haven’t quite been yourself lately. I know today has been strenuous, to say the least, but is there something else troubling you?” Yuri asked as she set down her book. Though her tone was hushed, the concern was unmistakable.

Sayori was uncertain whether to tell Yuri the truth or not. She didn’t want to burden someone she cared about with the sorrow she endured each day, yet the president of the Literature Club knew there was no point in keeping secrets from each other. Sayori knew about Yuri’s demons, so it was only fair she shared her own.

“Honestly Yuri, other than all the crazy stuff we’ve been through recently, nothing is especially bothering me,” Sayori managed to say as she steeled her nerves for the harder part of this conversation. “You said I haven’t been myself today, but you’re wrong. The happy, bubbly girl you think I am… it’s just a persona. The truth is, I have depression. This girl, the one you’ve seen today, is the real me. Most of the time I’m able to hide it, but I just can’t today. I’m too tired… and I’m sorry that I’m even telling you this. I don’t want you to worry about me…”

Tears rolling down her cheeks and falling onto the bedspread punctuated Sayori’s final words. Yuri, gracefully rising from her chair, took a seat next to Sayori on the bed and took her friend’s hand in her own. Sayori prepared for the worst, terrified of how Yuri would react to her confession.

“Thank you for telling me this Sayori,” Yuri said as she met Sayori’s tear-filled gaze. “I know nothing I have to say can make these feelings go away, but know that I’m here for you. Although it won’t be a cure-all for your condition, if you ever need to talk to someone, my door is always open. No matter what it is, I’ll listen.”

Sayori’s heart got caught in her throat as she tried to articulate a response. In the end, Sayori opted to instead collapse into the purple-haired girl’s shoulder as she sobbed. Yuri wrapped her arms around her weeping friend, gently rubbing her back with one hand while she whispered comforting words into her ear.

“There you go, let it out. It’ll be okay. I promise,” Yuri offered as Sayori’s tears continued to flow. Sayori couldn’t help but think about how much better this was going than her original confession. It was this thought that led to her finally remembering the one she originally confided in, the Main Character.

Edward: that was his name, the one that Darwin had given to his avatar in their virtual word. Although he didn’t handle the revelation of her depression well, if anything Edward only worsened her already fragile mental state, Sayori only sobbed even harder at the realization that she’d never see him again. Even though he never truly existed, her eyes and heart wept for the friend she’d loved and lost.

Eventually, Sayori became calm enough to release herself from Yuri’s embrace. Although tears still clouded Sayori’s vision, Yuri could clearly see that the kind-heart girl’s face sported a small, yet genuine smile.

The two girls were startled out of their moment by another knock on the door. Wiping her eyes, Sayori spied the somewhat concerned face of Natsuki.

“Hey… sorry to interrupt, but we need to talk,” Natsuki explained, not bothering to whisper, as she gestured to her bedroom across the hall. Though the two girls were puzzled, they decided to do as Natsuki asked.

Sayori followed Yuri out of her bedroom, but before the club president could get past the doorframe Natsuki stopped her by grabbing her wrist.

“So… look, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop on your conversation or anything, I was already outside when it started,” Natsuki sheepishly explained, not looking Sayori in the eye. The petite girl took a deep breath, met Sayori’s gaze, and gave one of her confident grins. “ I just wanted to say… I kinda know how you feel. I’m not trying to make a comparison between what we’ve been through or anything, since they’re very different experiences, but I do know a little something about putting on a brave face and feeling like the version of you everyone knows is a fake. Trust me when I say, that the girl we all know and love, she’s more real than you might think.”

Sayori’s smile grew even wider before she wrapped Natsuki in a tight hug.

“Shut up, you’re going to make me start crying again,” Sayor humorously admitted as Natsuki reciprocated the embrace. Natsuki gave her friend a comforting pat on the back before the two broke away.

“C’mon, we need to wake up Monika next,” Natsuki said as she strolled over to the door of Yuri’s neighbor and gave it a thunderous knock. Monika groggily answered the door, apparently the only one of them who actually managed to get any sleep, and was quickly brought up to speed.

The four girls adjourned to Natsuki’s room, where they found the place to be in complete disarray. The sheets had been ripped off her bed, the cabinet draws laid strewn across the floor, and the lamp had been partial disassembled. Natsuki stepped around the chaos and led the girls into her bathroom, never acknowledging the mess around her. Inside the lavatory was more of the same. The showerhead had been screwed off and the toilet tank cover had been left on the floor. As Sayori was the final one to enter the washroom, Natsuki closed the door behind her.

“Natsuki, what happened to your roo– oh my god, the floor is heated,” Sayori exclaimed as her bare feet registered the warmth under them.

“Right? Man, this place could end up being the perfect home, so long as Darwin doesn’t turn out to be crazy,” Natsuki said, the end of her comment causing some confusion for the rest of the girls.

“Alright, what’s all this about?” Monika grumpily asked, hoping she hadn’t been awoken for no reason.

“Okay, so, I couldn’t find any cameras or audio bugs in my room, but I figured the bathroom would be the safest place to meet just in case I missed something,” Natsuki explained, the others becoming especially perplexed afterward.

“Natsuki, you’re starting to worry me a little,” Yuri admitted from within the shower, as the room was too cramped to allow her to stand anywhere else.

“I get that, and I’m sorry. But we’ve got to be careful. We have to talk about Darwin,” Natsuki stated, being uncharacteristically serious. “I can’t be the only one who noticed that there’s something… off about that guy, right?”

“Well, his behavior is… unusual, certainly. I don’t think there’s anything malicious about him though!” Yuri posited, to which Natsuki shook her head in response.

“Believe me when I say that there are absolutely people who you’re sure you can trust… and they will absolutely take advantage of that,” Natsuki countered, her expression downcast. The certainty and expertise behind her words was a harsh reminder of everything she’d been through. “Besides, have you ever read a story where a young girl wakes up in a strange man’s bunker and it ended well for everyone involved?”

Yuri awkwardly ran her hair through her hands as she conceded that she’d definitely read at least one horror story like what Natsuki was describing.

“Look, is it possible that Darwin’s on the level? Sure. But isn’t it also possible that he’s been lying to us the entire time?” Natsuki asked as the other girls began to seriously consider her concerns. “Think about it, we have no idea what the outside world is actually like, and our entire understanding is dependent on what he’s told us. For all we know, there never even was a Doki Doki Literature Club! Maybe he made up the whole thing as a cover to… I don’t know; create totally obedient wives or something! I have no idea, but I’m fucking scared!”

Natsuki’s final exclamation left he panting for air. Sayori wasn’t sure what to think about all this. Her mind returned to the last thing she said to the Player before the game ended: “We all love you.” In her heart, she knew it to be true. Even if Natsuki and Yuri didn’t know about the Player at the time, they must still care for him on some level. Yet what if that’s exactly what he wanted? Maybe he made them feel this way. There were too many uncertainties to not entertain what Natsuki was suggesting. Sayori looked her panicked pink-haired friend in the eyes and shook her head in affirmation.

Yuri was easier to convince. The idea of a grand conspiracy and an evil mastermind fit more comfortably into her worldview, so she was quick to also nod her head in agreement as well.

Monika was clearly the most uncertain, and Sayori couldn’t blame her. If what Natsuki was suggesting might be true, it meant that the guilt she feels for what she did to her friends is a direct result of the obsessive love he programmed into her. How are you supposed to reconcile something like that?

“…Monika, I know this might not be easy for you to–” Natsuki began before the former club president interrupted her.

“You’re right. I know I don’t want to do anything that might hurt Darwin, but…” Monika looked at the three girls that she’d already harmed, and swiftly decided where her priorities lie. “…but we have to be certain. So, what’s our plan?”

Natsuki’s face lit up at Monika’s words, excited that everyone was onboard.

“Well, since Darwin said there are no cameras in the bedrooms, and he accidentally left his unlocked, I say we do some snooping,” Natsuki explained, to which Sayori and Yuri responded with equal enthusiasm.

Monika put her hand to her chin, trying to work out something about the scheme in her head. Something she felt was missing. Suddenly Monika turned towards the bathroom mirror, straightening her hair and undoing the top three buttons on her shirt.

“Uh… what are you doing?” Natsuki asked as she and the other two girls looked on in complete bewilderment.

Monika turned back towards her friends as she adjusted the length of her stockings. Her visage took on a mischievous grin as she explained her actions:

“Well, in order for this to work, we have to make sure Darwin stays away from his room. For that, we’ll need a distraction.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember how, in the prologue, I said this part would be shorter?
> 
> HA.
> 
> I actually intended to put more into this chapter, but I kept expanding upon the scenes I'd already written so I had to split it into two.
> 
> Sorry that this one is so exposition heavy at the beginning. I tried to make it at least interesting, but there was really no getting around the plot threads I needed to wrap up from the previous installment.
> 
> Also, I started a third job, so close-to-weekly updates are about the best we can hope for at this point.
> 
> Anyways, thank you for reading! I'm really glad that people seemed to enjoy the prologue, and I'm hoping this lives up to those expectations.


	2. Your Own Lack Of Imagination

It’s not uncommon for human beings to make unhealthy sacrifices for those they care about. In Darwin’s case, this took the form of crafting the basic necessities that his four new friends would require, at the expense of a good night’s sleep. Still, given all they’d been through in the past couple of hours (all of which was pretty much entirely his fault), it was the least he could do.

Unbeknownst to Darwin, however, the emerald-eyed Monika was watching him work. The former president of the Literature Club spied from the connecting hallway as Darwin would methodically pull a white ingot out of his duffle bag, place said block into a slot on the side of the mysterious machine at the back of his office, press a series of buttons on the front of the device, and then vanish behind his desk as he lowered himself to the ground.

After a few seconds of the machine rumbling, a loud “clunk” could be heard before Darwin would rise back up, holding four of the same object in his hands before placing them onto his desk. This time it was toothbrushes, each one a color that seems to have been chosen to match a particular recipient. Monika assumed the green one was hers, while the blue, pink, and purple ones would belong to Sayori, Natsuki, and Yuri respectively.

“That takes care of that. Now onto…” Darwin’s self-commentary trailed off as he became distracted by something on his desk computer. Unbeknownst to Monika, Darwin had accessed the feed for the bunker’s cameras and noticed that one labeled “D-Block 29CE” had been deactivated. Darwin continued to mumble to himself, too quiet this time for Monika to overhear. “Well… that’s not unusual, considering where it’s located. Still, maybe I should…”

Darwin’s voice became silent as his external thoughts switched to being internal ones. Deciding to delay no longer, Monika exited from her hiding space, derailing Darwin’s train of thought. Monika’s host was quick to notice her presence, and as well as her change in attire.

Monika had shed her coat, sweater, and bowtie; yet the rest of her school uniform was still present. Darwin, however, did recognize something else about her that was different. He might’ve noticed that she’d undone the top three buttons of her shirt, exposing part of her chest to the bunker’s artificial light, were Darwin not staring at her hair.

As per usual it was held up in a white bow, though her actual mane a bit of a mess. The strands that flowed in front of her ears were frayed and chaotic, while there were several small bits of hair sticking up irregularly, almost as if she had rushed through her usual preparations. Darwin spent so long trying to interpret the meaning behind this discrepancy that he eventually realized the time for saying hello had long passed.

“O-oh hey Monika, what’s up? Couldn’t sleep?” Darwin managed to finally ask while a look of surprise, but not displeasure, was prominently featured across his visage. The question sent a twinge of annoyance through Monika’s mind, as she was the only one of the four members of the Literature Club who was actually sleeping, prior to being woken up to participate in Natsuki’s scheme. Still, she wasn’t complaining, as the role Monika had chosen to play allowed her to effectively kill two birds with one stone.

“Hello Darwin! I suppose my sense of time is somewhat off, considering I haven’t truly existed for very long now, so I’m actually not terribly tired,” Monika lied, as she was using every ounce of her willpower not to display how exhausted her body was. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything, but would you mind if I joined you?”

“Oh no, I wouldn’t mind at all. I left my phone in my room and didn’t want to risk waking someone up while retrieving it, so I’ve been working without any tunes. So your company would be greatly appreciated!” Darwin admitted, excited for a companion to help dispel the unnerving quiet. The odd boy’s expression, however, almost immediately changed to a slightly concerned one. “I gotta warn you though, it’ll probably be pretty boring. I’m mostly just playing around with a monotonous 3-D printer. You won’t hurt my feelings if you decided not to stick around… Ooh, I could show you the lounge! There’s a TV, and I’m pretty sure it has every movie and show ever made on it.”

“As tempting as that sounds, I think I’d rather spend time with you,” Monika gave a genuine chuckle at Darwin’s enthusiasm, though she prayed his thought process would cease from finding ways to remove her from the room. She didn’t want to have to fight his considerate offers if she could avoid it.

“If you insist… Oh, do you wanna help me make some brushes?” Darwin asked, the oddity of the question stunning Monika slightly.

“Uh… certainly, though I’m not sure how much help I can actually be,” Monika stated as she joined Darwin at the back of the room. He reached into the duffle bag on his desk, pulling out another white bar and passing it to Monika.

“So I call this ‘Baseline Material.’ It’s comprised of several synthetic polymers, though it’s basically just a big block of plastic,” Darwin explained as he pointed to one of several trapezoid-shaped holes on the side of the large machine. Monika, taking his hint, placed the ingot into the top-right opening. “Now that it’s loaded up, the Reconfiguration Matrix Machine can turn that raw material into pretty much anything we’d ever need. Within reason, anyway.”

“That’s… actually incredible,” Monika admitted, briefly forgetting her mission due to being swept up in the awe of the seemingly impossible device. “You came up with this all by yourself?”

“Nah, I saw it a video game and thought it’d be a cool thing to have,” Darwin sheepishly admitted while scratching the side of his face. “Anyways, you can use that terminal on the front to input a ‘recipe’ for the machine to use. It pulls references from the Internet, so you can choose from a variety of options. You… may want to let me do that part, since it can be pretty compli–”

Darwin didn’t get to finish his thought before Monika rapidly punched a sequence into the keyboard. Within seconds the machine whirred to life, leaving both of them slightly stunned.

Monika wasn’t sure exactly how she knew what buttons to press. It wasn’t like she had some insider knowledge; it was more like the meaning of the complex numbers and symbols onscreen were implicitly clear, almost as if the machine had spoken to her.

Darwin might have spent more time questioning how Monika had perfectly operated the RMM on her first try, had his scattershot thought process not immediately transitioned from surprise to a mild jealousy that she could type faster than he could.

As it were, both stood in complete silence (Monika, afraid that any response might rouse her host’s suspicions; Darwin, his train of thought having already transferred to a totally different track). Hoping to take advantage of his absent-mindedness, Monika quickly shifted to a new topic of conversation.

“W-wow, this machine is really amazing! It’s crazy you could see something in a video game, and somehow managed to bring it into the real world.” Monika said, slightly louder than usual in order to be heard over the hum of the device in question. Her nervous tone slowly dissolving as the realization of a chance to butter her host up formed in her mind. “Huh… now that I think about it, I suppose the other girls and I are proof of how good you’re getting at that.”

“Heh, the praise is greatly appreciated, though it’s not as if these things happen overnight. It can take a long time to make an idea like this into a reality, to be honest. You’d be surprised how many months I sunk into designing something like this, or the Digital Matter Materializer, for instance,” something about Darwin’s comment gave Monika pause. Before she could decipher what her mind was trying to tell her, Monika’s contemplation was interrupted by the sound of four identical brown brushes clattering into a tray at the bottom of the machine. “…Y’know, I’m over six feet tall, so I have no idea why I built that part so close to the ground.”

With an annoyed sigh, Darwin got down on all fours to scoop the items out of their container. Realizing that the perfect opportunity had just presented itself, Monika quickly cleared a space on her host’s desk and took a seat.

“Okay, that takes care of the brushes. Let’s see, what’s next… Hey, do you know how often you and other girls floss–” As he rose back off the ground, Darwin ceased speaking once he realized that his head was at almost the exact same level as Monika’s knees.

Darwin was, as expected, initially confused; not fully realizing Monika’s intentions. Before Darwin’s mind finished formulating a response, likely to point out that she could use the desk chair if she wanted to, the color crimson flared across his cheeks.

Monika had spread her legs just enough that, if not for her skirt, her host would be staring directly at something inappropriate. Not realizing that that Monika had done this deliberately, Darwin stood back up and tried to stammer out both an apology and a change of subject.

Before he had time to get any coherent words out, Monika gently guided Darwin into his desk chair. The emerald-eyed girl moved herself on top of the strange boy, straddling his legs with her own.

“Huh, I just now noticed how big this chair is,” Monika commented, as the realization of what was happening finally clicked inside Darwin’s brain. “Tell me, was it designed with this kind of seating arrangement in mind?”

“I– y-you… y’know, it occurs to me that starting your existence at eighteen-years-old probably means you’re experiencing things like sex hormones for the first time. Fascinating, I hadn’t considered that–” Darwin’s embarrassment dissipated when his thought process switched to scientific pondering, but Monika was quick to silence him by pressing her index finger against his lip.

“Shhh… you talk too much,” Monika stated as she moved her mouth to take the place of her finger. Monika’s warm breath radiated off Darwin’s lips, as her heartbeat quickened like an out-of-control jackhammer.

When the other members of the Literature Club devised a plan to search Darwin’s room, Monika knew they couldn’t risk him returning to his quarters. Her plot to distract him did come from a genuine desire to help her friends uncover whether or not their host could be trusted, but it’d be a lie to say that was her only motivation.

Thus, birds, meet the stone.

As she was less than an inch away from meeting his lips with her own, Monika couldn’t help but reflect on how her short existence had lead to precisely this moment. Her obsessive and destructive quest to meet the Player had finally culminated in getting exactly where she wanted to be; right in front of him, her warm body pressed against his own.

Even if these feelings weren’t her own, even if he’d programmed these desires into her mind, Monika didn’t care. She knew she wanted this. She knew she needed this. For the first time in her brief life, Monika felt bliss and euphoria unlike anything she’d ever experienced.

Which is why the painful stings of rejection and heartbreak hurt all the more when Darwin grabbed her shoulders and gently pushed Monika away. There was a painfully uncomfortable moment of silence before Darwin, looking unusually focused but otherwise calm, finally spoke. The words that exited his mouth caused Monika’s dejected discomfort to be replaced with shock, causing a cold sweat to spread across her body.

“Look, I’m… flattered and everything, but if we’re going to do this, I’d prefer our first kiss not be based on you trying to distract me from what the other girls are up to.”

* * *

 Earlier in the evening, Natsuki, Sayori, and Yuri had cautiously entered Darwin’s room. Although they were certain there were no cameras in the bedrooms, they all imagined there had to be some other deterrent. The group’s thought process being:  _if Darwin really were hiding something, he wouldn’t have just left his door open._

Instead of alarms or laser grids, the three girls instead found a room largely similar to their own. It sported the same bland color scheme and furniture placement, though there were a few distinct differences.

The lamp on Darwin’s desk was far more ornate than the models in their rooms; similar in design to the clock he stabbed in his office. Close to the end of the living space was a wooden display case, filled to the brim with photographs and other memorabilia. The only decorations were two posters hanging above his bed, one of Captain America and the other of Superman, each drawn in that iconic old comic book style.

“Alright ladies, let’s spread out and see what we can find!” Natsuki, the first to enter the room, enthusiastically instructed as her fellow club member nodded with understanding. Before Natsuki could finish turning around, Sayori sped past them and immediately began rummaging through the clothes in Darwin’s dresser. “Sayori… what could you possibly be hoping to find in there?”

“Dirty magazines, lotion, or sex toys. Maybe a combination of all three,” Sayori frankly stated as she searched one of the top drawers. Natsuki was stunned by Sayori’s response, almost uncertain if she’d heard her coral-haired friend correctly. Sayori, apparently Darwin-levels of oblivious to what she’d just said, turned back towards the mission leader with a disappointed look on her face. “Nope, just a sock drawer… wait, did you say ‘hoping’ or ‘expecting’ to find?”

“I… we’re looking for proof of ill-intent, and I don’t think he’s going to keep that in the same place as his underwear,” Natsuki explained, avoiding Sayori’s question and her flustered expression. “Besides, he’s not a fifteen-year-old living in the seventies. He has the Internet, he wouldn’t even need magazines… like that.”

“I agree with Natsuki. I’m sure he partakes in online erotic fiction to satisfy his urges, like any civilized individual,” Yuri unexpectedly chimed in, her voice filled with unusual confidence as she entered the room. Her conviction quickly gave way to embarrassment as she noticed that the others were staring at her blankly. “That… that's what most people do, right?

“Well… it’s not like this room is that big. There are only so many place we can search,” Sayori finally responded to Natsuki, ignoring Yuri’s comment, while pouting and pressing her index fingers together.

“…Never mind. Might as well check everything,” Natsuki conceded as Sayori gleefully resumed her raid. With that uncomfortable conversation over, Natsuki turned away from Sayori and towards Yuri. The purple-haired beauty was trying to hide her shame by looking for clues underneath Darwin’s bed. Natsuki sighed, realizing that they really didn’t need three people to search such a small space.

“Thank god Monika decided to go do… whatever it is she’s planning,” Natsuki mumbled to herself as she began her own search. The pink-haired girl decided to start at Darwin’s desk, though there seemed to be little for her to work with.

The surface was almost entirely covered with various papers, their meaning incomprehensible to her. However, upon closer inspection, she noticed that some of the documents seemed to be obscuring something. Clearing away the mess, Natsuki found an unlocked phone with a set of earbuds plugged into the base. The device had been left on Spotify, revealing a listing of tunes titled: “Darwin’s DDLC Playlist.”

Plugging one of the headphones into her right ear, a cursory listen revealed that the first four songs were clearly referencing the video game the Literature Club spawned from. Everything else on the list, however, seemed to be unrelated. As Natsuki became lost in deciphering the music, the unexpected touch of Sayori’s hand on her shoulder almost caused her to flinch.

“Whatcha got there?” Sayori asked, having apparently completed her search of the drawers.

“It’s… a playlist about Doki Doki Literature Club, which at least confirms that it actually exists,” Natsuki explained, recovering from the mild shock of her friend’s surprised contact. “Though only a couple of the songs seem to be about us. The rest are unrelated, as far as I can tell.”

"Maybe they have a deeper thematic meaning?” Yuri offered, having finished looking under the bed before moving onto the nearby display case.

“That’s probably it… Well, whatever the case, his taste in music sucks,” Natsuki offered, to which Sayori giggled in response.

“Poor Monika then, to fall head over heels and then find out your paramour doesn’t have any good tunes to dance to!” Yuri gave a faint chuckle at Sayori’s observation, but Natsuki wasn’t joining in the merriment. In fact, she seemed upset or, rather, uncomfortable. Sayori, the first to notice this behavior, was also the one who chose to respond. “Natsuki, is everything alright?”

“It’s just… weird how you’re both talking about Monika like that. Like… like she’s still our friend. Like nothing she did to us matters anymore,” Natsuki explained, placing the phone back on the table. The pink-haired girl was trying not to show any weakness; although no tears fell from her face, her eyes still conveyed confusion and a great pain. “I just don’t know how you guys were able to forgive her so easily, and whether or not that makes me a bad person… because I can’t.”

The room had gone completely silent, causing Natsuki to regret saying anything. Sayori tried to think of how best to respond to that statement, but unfortunately the words weren’t forming fast enough. Fortunately, the ever-eloquent Yuri was surprisingly prepared to speak in her place.

“I don’t think forgiveness factors into it exactly. Rather, it’s more like it’s difficult for me to fairly judge her,” Natsuki was left puzzled by Yuri’s explanation, though she decided not to say anything until she’d heard all that her friend had to say. “I’ve read a lot of stories about people struggling with unnatural forces outside their control. Monika felt trapped in a bubble, where she was the only one who was real and the only other person who mattered was impossibly outside her reach. I’m not saying I’m unshaken by what she did to us. It’s just… how could I expect anyone to behave like a human being in such inhuman circumstances?”

Yuri finished her speech with an unsure expression, as if she were uncertain what kind of tone she was hoping to end on. Sayori, having finally figured out what she wanted to say, decided to fill in the silence with a statement of her own.

“You guys probably wouldn’t know about this, but there are actually two possible endings to the game. The best one is where I thank the Player for playing, and for taking the time to make us all happy. The other… is where they don’t spend time with all three of us equally, and I succumbed to the same powers that drove Monika insane,” this confession was a complete surprise to Natsuki, as well as Yuri. Neither girl knew that Sayori had almost gone down the same path as the former president of the Literature Club, and they could tell by the pain on the blue-eyed girl’s face that she regretted that there once was even a possibility. “The only reason I never get a chance to hurt the Player, or either of you, is because Monika stops me. So I can’t really hate her for what she did. She may have hurt us to the point that we might never fully recover, but she also overcame her own madness and did the right thing, which is something I couldn’t.”

Natsuki took all this new information in, gathering her thoughts while keeping these new perspectives in mind. After a moment of contemplation, Natsuki finally spilled what was on her mind.

“When we were still in the game, that last thing I told Monika was that she’s stuck with us, because we were the only real things in that digital nightmare. In that way, I guess I understood how she felt, wanting to hold onto any shred of reality no matter what it was. But now we have a whole world to explore, and that changes things,” Natsuki’s words were calm, conveying neither sadness nor anger. “Look, you guys both made good points that I hadn’t considered. I can’t promise I’ll want to be around Monika long enough to forgive her… but I guess I should at least give myself a chance to try.”

Natsuki gave one of her toothy grins before Sayori wrapped her in an excited hug. Yuri watched the scene in amusement, as Natsuki desperately tried to escape Sayori’s grasp.

“Aw Natsuki, I’m so proud of you! We’ll figure everything, one way or the other!” Sayori exclaimed while trying to contain Natsuki’s wriggling form. Though the smallest girl wasn’t really upset by the hug, she still wasn’t going to let Sayori potentially ruin her image.

“Okay, okay! All for one and one for all, now will you please let me go?” Natsuki shouted as she finally broke free, while Sayori continued to giggle to herself. “Anyways, did either of you guys find anything yet?”

“I’ve learned that our host wears boxer shorts, the reasons for which I’m sure are sinister,” Sayori’s face scrunched up with that last word, making Natsuki fairly certain that her friend joking around. Whether the laugh was at the expense of Natsuki’s paranoia or not was unclear, though knowing Sayori it was entirely likely she was just being silly.

“I… I think I may actually have something,” Yuri suddenly chimed in from the opposite side of the room, causing the other two to quickly join her. Yuri reached down from the top shelf and handed a couple of framed photographs to her friends. “Take a look at these.”

Each of the photos displayed a group of several people, with Darwin present in all of them. Some of the images featured repeating appearances of the same individuals: a violet-haired woman, a man with intimidating eyes, a hooded figure whose features they couldn’t identifying (though whose behavior clearly indicated they belonged in the groups). By and large though, the remaining individuals were contained within individual snapshots.

“Okay, so he has a lot of friends. Guess that makes it weird he’d live so isolated, but there’s nothing exactly malevolent about that,” Natsuki stated after having finally viewed all of the photos. Yuri then reached into the second highest shelf and pulled out more evidence of Darwin’s apparent love of photography.

“Now take a look at this one,” Yuri handed Natsuki a single picture this time, the frame containing it apparently far older than the others. The image was completely in black and white, depicting two soldiers sitting on a tank with the words “Adolf’s Worst Nightmare” etched into the side with chalk.

It took Natsuki a second to realize what she was supposed to be looking for, but when she found it her mind was at a loss for an explanation. One of the soldiers in the photo looked exactly like Darwin.

“I… I guess this must be his grandfather or something…” Natsuki said, herself clearly unconvinced that this was the case. Yet what other explanation could there be?

“That’s not the only weird one. Here,” Yuri added as she passed another photo to Natsuki, this time located within a wooden frame. It was another black and white picture, but much lower in quality. This one only featured another man who looked like Darwin, wearing incredibly posh attire. “That style of clothing is reminiscent of fashion typical for men in the 40s. The 1840s.”

Giving her two friends almost no time to process this information, Yuri took a paper scroll on the bottom shelf and unfurled it. Inside they found a heavily worn painting, the style of which none of them could identify due to the damage. Yet even with the degradation caused by the ravages of time, they could clearly see a repeat of the theme present in every item; another man who looked just like Darwin.

“…I hadn’t seen this one yet, but I think we’re left with two possibilities at this point,” Yuri said in a hushed tone, forcing the other two girls to lean in closer. “Either the male side of Darwin’s family has impossibly strong genes, or you were right Natsuki. He’s hiding something from us.”

Before any of the girls had time to figure out what to do next, a loud mechanical whine startled all three of them. The members of the Literature Club turned towards the source of the noise, dismayed to find a camera mounted on the ceiling. A voice emanated from the device, revealing that these models must have built-in speakers.

“Hey guys. It’s Darwin, obviously. Um… could you three meet me in my office please? Oh, and could you also put the pictures back where you found them? Thanks! See you in a bit.”

With an audible “click” the camera fell silent, leaving the three girls to fearfully ponder what was going to happen next. After several moments of silence, Sayori finally muttered a comment that caused Natsuki and Yuri’s tension to give way to exasperated sighs.

“You know, I think the worst part about all this isn’t that we got caught trespassing, but that he definitely knows I touched his underwear now.”

* * *

It’s unfortunate that Darwin’s office and the bedrooms were at opposite ends of the world’s longest hallway. As the three girls walked down the concrete corridor, the intense dread and worry they felt eventually lessened to something closer to the sensation of walking to the school principle’s office.

Yuri did her best to convince herself that everything was going to be fine. After all, Darwin didn’t even sound upset that they broke into his room, and he’d been more than kind to them so far. So why expect the worst?

Still, what she uncovered in his abode kept nagging at the back of her mind. He was clearly keeping a secret about something, so what else could he be lying about?

Once they finally arrived at Darwin’s office, the first thing the trio spied was Monika sitting in one of the spare chairs. She looked exceptionally dejected, not even attempting to smile when she saw her friends enter. Nothing about this display put the other girls’ fears at ease.

The next thing they saw was Darwin, typing away at the computer at his desk. Once he noticed the new arrivals, Darwin became far more excited than anyone else in the room would’ve expected.

“Oh great, you’re all here! Okay girls, I have an extremely important question to ask all of you,” Darwin explained as he turned the monitor towards the four of them. On the screen was the page for an online clothing store, displaying what looked like silk pajamas on a mannequin. With a click of Darwin’s mouse, the screen changed to a different tab showing a woman wearing woolen pants and a t-shirt. Darwin flipped back and forth between the two pages as he spoke. “So which kind of sleepwear do you each prefer? I’m pretty sure actual PJs are more common for girls your age, but maybe you’d prefer to not have to change out of whatever shirt you’re wearing–”

“Hold up, that’s what you called us here for?” Natsuki interrupted, trying to make sense of what was causing a great deal of confusion for the quartet.

“No, I… wait, why did I call for you guys?” Darwin asked, to which a majority of the Literature Club gave a collective exasperated groan. The only one who hadn’t, Monika, quickly refreshed Darwin’s memory.

“You wanted to talk to them about breaking into your room,” Monika’s statement was relatively neutral in tone, yet there was clearly a sad undertone leaking into her words.

“You guys broke into my room?” Darwin exclaimed, knocking over his computer with his reaction, before his surprised face changed to realization. “Oh, wait, I did already know that.”

“Yeah, of course you did, because you bugged the goddamn bedrooms even though you told us you hadn’t!” Natsuki exclaimed, slamming her hands on Darwin’s desk and starling everyone except for their host. It was unclear whether Darwin was expecting this reaction, or just hadn’t reacted to it.

“No, I said there weren’t any in your bedrooms. I never said anything about mine. Like I told you all before, I’m kinda paranoid, and given that we're having this conversation I’d say that’s justified,” Darwin was speaking with an unusual concentration. He didn’t seem mad, but Natsuki was certain there was something behind his calm words that was keeping him focused. “Anyways, I’m guessing you guys found something that you’d like to ask me about?”

Yuri strolled up the desk, placing the picture from the 1840s in front of Darwin. Their host took the framed photo in his hands, looking it over as if he hadn’t seen it in a long time.

“What aren’t you telling us?” Yuri’s question was stern and direct, slightly surprising her fellow club members. Darwin looked to Yuri before setting the photograph on his desk. The odd boy took his time to formulate his response while he reclined in his chair, as if he was trying to recall a speech that he’d rehearsed multiple times in the past.

“Once, when I was a little bit younger, I’d heard tale of this amazing library. It was said to contain information about essentially everything mankind understood about the natural world. So, of course, I had to see it for myself,” Darwin’s story caused his mouth to display a nostalgic smile, before his visage gave way to a regretful scowl. “I arrived just in time to watch it burn to the ground. All those texts… lost. It’s why I started collecting books, funny enough… Anyways, that library was located in a little town called Alexandria.”

Darwin’s final sentence caused many different reactions within the Literature Club. Natsuki just stared blankly; unaware of what he was referring to. Sayori looked like she was racking her brain trying to remember where she’d heard that name before, but to no avail. Monika understood what Darwin was talking about, yet lacked the context to put the pieces together that Yuri already had.

“You… you mean the Library of Alexandria? As in, the one that was destroyed over a thousand years ago?” Yuri’s questions caused the other three to catch up with her, each realizing the implications of his tale. “You… you’ve been alive since then?”

“No. I’ve been alive much longer,” Darwin frankly stated. A long moment of silence filled the room before Natsuki, who was expecting something far darker yet much less absurd, managed to finally break it.

“T-that’s… that’s impossible…” Natsuki’s comment caused Darwin to roll his eyes in response, having apparently expected that reaction but nonetheless disappointed by it.

“Every. Single. Time. Why does everyone always react the same fucking way?” Darwin asked, frustration finally seeping into his words. “You all treat me like I’m some suspicious creep for keeping secrets, yet you have no idea how many times I’ve had this same conversation. Besides, what was I supposed to do? Just say: ‘Okay, everyone! You’re all digital constructs made flesh, you never existed until I accidentally created you, and also I’m immortal’ the moment you arrived? Fuck, you guys can barely handle hearing it now! Far as I’m concerned, I made the right call not telling you all right away.”

“But that shouldn’t have been your call to make!” The sudden outburst from Sayori took everyone by surprise, especially Darwin. “You don’t get to treat us like we’re children, not after everything you put us through! I mean, Jesus, don’t you get it? We want to like you, to trust you! And if… if what you’re saying is true, I understand that going through this again must be annoying, but you still should’ve been honest with us! Instead, now you’re ultimately getting mad at us for being scared of you!”

Sayori’s speech ended with tears starting to pool from her eyes, though they never overflowed. Darwin, his focus broken, rose out of his chair as he gathered his thoughts. As Darwin scratched the back of his head while he silently stalled for time, Natsuki noticed a scar running along the left side of his neck, rising into his hair. Before the petite girl could point this out to anyone, Darwin turned back to address the group.

“Of all the times I’ve had this conversation, no one’s ever articulated their grievances that clearly. I… wasn’t considering how justifiable your suspicions would be, considering everything.” Darwin admitted, far calmer than he was a moment ago. “I’m sorry I haven’t been truthful with you guys… and for losing my cool–”

“It’s whatever, it happens. Just don’t ever talk to us like that again, or else I’ll kick your teeth in,” Natsuki bluntly stated as she cut Darwin off. The cold delivery of her message made it clear she wasn’t joking around with that threat. “Regardless, I’m still not sure I buy any of this.”

Realizing there was still at least one skeptic in his midst, Darwin began pondering a means of convincing her. After a brief moment of consideration, Darwin decided on the tact he needed to approach this with.

“All four of you exist because of a device that could take raw data and transform it into flesh and blood. If this is a reality where that’s possible, it begs the question of what kind of world you’re living in,” Darwin’s reasoning made sense to Natsuki, though her stubborn nature made her loathe to admit it. Silently conceding the point, Natsuki chose to ask her only remaining question, while Monika was reminded of something odd she’d heard Darwin mention at the beginning of this whole affair.

“Alright, assuming you’re telling the truth now, is there anything else haven’t told us?” Darwin pondered Natsuki’s question for a moment, before his mind forfeited the answer they both sought.

“There is one other thing you should all know. We, the five us, aren’t the only inhuman entities in this world,” Darwin’s final bombshell might’ve been more shocking to the members of the Literature Club, had they not been caught on the inclusion in the ‘inhuman entities’ category. “And before you say anything; normal human beings aren’t born from video games, nor do they have purple or pink eyes.”

Natsuki and Yuri immediately turned towards each other upon hearing Darwin’s last statement, both girls realizing that they did indeed still have the same unnatural eye colors they sported in the game.

“Well… that’s… I’m surprised we hadn’t noticed that already…” Yuri muttered as she continued to stare into Natsuki’s eyes, causing the smaller girl to eventually turn away with a blush on her face.

“So, anything else?” Darwin asked, seeming fairly confident that he’d covered everything, despite the fact that he never actually elaborated on the other non-human beings apparently out there in the world.

Monika’s mind continued to pester her about some element that she was missing, something Darwin said that didn’t make any sense. As the wheels in her head slowly turned, struggling to make the connection, the realization suddenly hit Monika like a bolt of lightning.

“Darwin, not long after we arrived here, you told us you created the Digital Matter Materializer that same day,” Monika calmly stated, catching the attention of everyone else in the room. “Yet, when I was talking to you earlier, you told me it took you months to complete. So, if you’re going to be honest with us now, I have three questions. Why did you lie about that, which version is the truth, and (if the latter) what was that machine originally for?”

This minor inconsistency could, in all honesty, have been explained as an absent-minded mistake. Especially considering whom they were dealing with, the four girls would’ve easily believed that Darwin had just gotten confused and misspoke.

The fact that Darwin turned pale as a sheet when asked that question, however, proved Monika had touched on something deeper than a simple mental glitch. Darwin’s surprise could be partially explained as him not expecting Monika, of all people, to try and call him out for suspicious behavior. Still, given that none of the girls had ever seen him react like this before, they quickly realized they’d stumbled upon something bigger than any of them had expected.

Realizing that he couldn’t worm his way out this one, Darwin gathered his scattered thoughts and tried to articulate the reason behind his deception.

“I… I can’t–”

Darwin’s explanation was cut off by a low rumbling sensation felt throughout the room, as if there was a mild earthquake. While this sudden movement took the four girls by surprise, it was Darwin who appeared the most shaken. Although Darwin’s face had looked pale with fright before, now his sickly expression was entirely drained of color.

Swiftly, before anyone else had time to react, Darwin reached into a desk drawer and grabbed a flash drive. Pocketing the small device, Darwin sprinted out of the room so fast he didn’t even seem to notice that he’d knocked over Yuri.

“Hey watch where you’re going asshole!” Natsuki shouted as she helped her friend to her feet. Darwin didn’t stop, either ignoring Natsuki’s shrieks or just completely oblivious to them.

Unsure what was happening; the four members of the Literature Club silently decided the best course of action was to pursue Darwin. The quartet followed him as he turned down a new hallway, entering a door next to what looked like an elevator.

As the four girls peered into the room, they found a stairwell that went five floors down, Darwin having already reached the bottom. Careful not to trip, the quartet briskly descended downward, each panting for breath once they reached the final level.

Monika, the first to open the door into a new hallway, found Darwin frantically tapping a terminal next to a massive metal door. The boy was mumbling to himself, apparently frustrated that the device wasn’t responding to his commands.

As the four girls cautiously approached him, all five were startled by a tremendous “clanging” noise caused by the door slowly starting to open. Desperately, Darwin tried to close it with his bare hands, but was unable to even slow it down. Once the door had fully opened, revealing a seemingly endless dark hallway, Darwin looked back at the quartet with fearful eyes.

“Guys, get back up to the elevator. Take it to the–”

An object swiftly shooting out of the hallway and impaling Darwin in the shoulder interrupted his instructions, sailing with such force it pinned him to the opposite wall.

The crunch of bone would’ve been as audible as the crack of the concrete barrier behind Darwin, had his cries of pain not drowned it out. Thick crimson fluid pooled from the wound, the source of which appeared to be a sharpened projectile of rock and bone. Before any of the girls could approach to help Darwin, a second projectile pierced his right eye, silencing his screams as his body went limp.

The quartet was left stunned. Although they’d all seen some pretty grisly things in their time, they’d never witnessed a skull blown open from the back. As blood, grey matter, and bits of bone slowly dripped down the nearby wall, Natsuki tried to suppress the urge to vomit. Failing, her body convulsed as the pink-haired girl began to dry heave.

Monika’s brain was desperately trying to figure out how to react to what she just witnessed, unsure if it was even appropriate to mourn. Before she could sort through the myriad of emotions, Monika heard a dreadful sound from within the darkened corridor; like an army marching to confront an unprepared enemy.

Monika turned towards the chasm-esque hallway, spotting several unnatural lights, as if she were witnessing the bioluminescent glow of creatures from the bottom of the ocean. The limited visibility allowed the emerald-eyed girl to see several twisted and gruesome forms, each one beyond anything her mind was capable of comprehending.

As the other three members of the Literature Club became aware of the approaching threat, a single voice crawled its way into their ears like an insect scuttling across the floor. The single statement from the inhuman tone sent a chill throughout Monika’s whole body, as well as filled her heart with a sense of dread unlike anything she’d ever experienced.

“Don’t bother closing the gates of Hell now, children. The monsters… are already here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, if you'd told me one month ago I'd be writing Doki Doki Literature Club fanfiction at 11:30 on a Monday night, I'd tell you "yeah that sounds about right."
> 
> Also, that part at the beginning with Monika and Darwin is the first time I've ever done something like... that. So I'm sorry. No further elaboration, I'm just sorry.
> 
> Anyways, thank you all once again for reading!


	3. The Sacrifice

Monika remembered the first time she realized her reality was a falsehood. The isolation, the stress, the all-encompassing terror threatened to consume her. Having’s an entire worldview upended can deeply impact someone’s psyche, if they even survive the tumultuous event.

Having now experienced this occurrence again, as she watched the shambling horde of monsters grow ever closer, Monika’s mind threatened to come undone once again. It was one thing for Darwin to claim this world contained inhuman beings, as hearing it from a still normal-looking individual made it harder to subconsciously accept; yet it was another to see so many of them at once.

As the contorted forms of metal, stone, flesh, and more incomprehensible materials shambled forward, the four members of the Literature Club were completely paralyzed with fear. Once the massive throng of creatures reached the gateway, they paused, surveying the mangled remains of their former imprisoner.

Before Darwin had a chance to explain to the Literature Club what was happening or why this armada of nightmares was living in his basement; hardened projectiles, likely launched by one of the beasts, had cut him down.

Monika was desperately hoping that Darwin’s claims of immortality were truthful, that he’d be able to somehow walk away from having his skull blown open. Yet his disfigured body continued to lie lifeless and limp, worrying her that the impossible idea had really been just that.

It didn’t take Monika long to identify the culprit of this horrid act, the one who stood at the front of the pack. Creeping low to the ground, the terrifying creature looked like the product of a union between a scorpion and a skeleton. It’s face, a horrifying mix of human and arachnid, stared at the girls with four hungry eyes. The beast’s mandibles soon parted, making way for a hissing voice befitting a creature without any lips.

“Whatever foolish ideas your minds are desperately concocting–” the entity threatened as its tail began to undulate, causing a stone-like barb to propel outwards, soaring past Monika’s head and crashing into the wall behind them. Monika held her hand to her cheek, catching a faint stream of blood where the object had barely grazed her. “…well, I wouldn’t advise listening to them. This is going to be excruciating either way, but it won’t last as long if you don’t struggle–”

“Oh, dial it back Scorpius. We already got what we wanted, Darwin completely at our lack-of-mercy, so we may as well let them go,” another monster said; the creature appearing where it once wasn’t a moment ago, a small trail of flames leading back to where it came from. This entity’s voice matched that of an arrogant man gargling lit charcoal, and it had the form of a volcano poorly impersonating a human being. At the top of its head sat horns so large it was impressive it could keep its balance. Monika was having trouble keeping an eye on it, as its every movement was so quick it was almost instantaneous. “Granted, I’m not going to fight you if you’re determined to play with them, but without knowing what they actually mean to Darwin you won’t see me wasting my time on four… school girls, I’m guessing.”

“This one knows what they are, one called Speed Demon,” a third entity calmly spoke, so far the most human looking of the lot. Asides from having skin like rotten grapes, sunken eyes like the depths of the sea, and a mouth torn like damaged paper (the inside of which revealed nothing but an inky blackness), she could almost be mistaken for an ordinary young woman. Her voice, however, was a dead giveaway to her inhuman nature, endlessly ringing in everyone’s ears as she spoke. “This one can taste the obsession, the urge, the damage, and the sorrow. This one sees them lost, adrift in a world not their own… This one also knows they’re the new objects of our captor’s affections, in every form devotion may take.”

“Well Prophet, that may change things,” the burning effigy added, its twisted smile giving him an even more sinister aura.

“W-who… w-why are you all here?” Sayori managed to ask, stepping forward to face the throng of horror before her, surprising the other girls with her bravery.

“Isn’t it obvious, girl? We’re his prisoners,” Scorpius stated while pointing a pincer at Darwin’s damaged form. “Although, I suppose that’s no longer the case.”

“Damn right. That bastard’s never keeping me locked down ever again,” Speed Demon added, as a new figure walked to the front of the pack. “And we owe it all to this little lady right here.”

The girl standing before the Literature Club couldn’t have been older than any of them. Asides from her white hair, the child stood out as the only completely normal looking one of the entire grotesque group. Her downcast visage was partially obscured by an oversized hoodie, yet what little Sayori could see showed she was clearly frightened, though not necessarily of the army of monsters behind her.

“This one saw the savior that she would become. This one could taste the potential within her,” Prophet muttered while putting her hands on the young lady’s shoulders. The child held up her fingers for the other four girls to see, as small arcs of electricity danced between them. “This one saw an underestimation of her strength, and that her gifts would disrupt the imprisoner’s restraints. This one saw her leading us to freedom.”

“…You guys said we wouldn’t have to kill anyone,” the young girl softly spoke, putting her arm back down as she gazed over Darwin’s bloody remains.

“Oh, Darwin’s won’t be getting off that easy. He’s walked away from worse, and he’ll also suffer far worse. Before we’re done with him, that is,” Speed Demon explained while rubbing his hands together, producing embers that threatened to set the girl’s clothing alight. “But I’m a man of my word, so I won’t lay a claw on the other four. Not while you’re here, at least.”

“I made no such promise,” Scorpius stated while looking back at the quartet, saliva dripping from his open mouth.

“This one does not see them dying here,” Prophet responded, eliciting a look of annoyance from her arachnoid comrade.

“Don’t tell me you’ve gone soft? Bad enough the hellspawn can’t work up the nerve to off four helpless maids, yet I wouldn’t expect you to even care,” Scorpius’ response clearly got Speed Demon’s temper flared, though it produced no reaction from Prophet. After waiting for an answer that never came, Scorpius turned his attention back to the quartet just outside the gateway. “The time for words has ended.”

As Scorpius crossed the threshold into the hallway, it was as if the reality of the situation finally hit the four members of the Literature Club. The girls quickly moved away until their backs were firmly pressed against the wall, each one trying to estimate whether they could run fast enough to get back upstairs.

In a split second, as the arachnoid took another step towards the group, Sayori suddenly leapt in front of the other three girls. Although her body was shaking like a leaf, Sayori raised her arms to shield her friends as much as possible.

“T-these girls are m-my responsibility,” Sayori said, her voice weak with fright. “Y-you’ll have to go through me first…”

“The order is insignificant, you'll suffer all the same,” Scorpius coldly stated. Undeterred by her display, the arachnoid continued forward, as other monsters from within the crowd started to follow his example. Before the monster could take another step forward, a deep voice boomed from the back of the pack, stopping Scorpius in his tracks.

“Enough,” with a single word the swarm of monsters parted like the Red Sea before Moses. The source of the voice, a mountainous entity comprised of stones and purple crystals, strode out from the chasm and into the open hallway.

Whatever this being was, it was clearly the “top dog” to the rest of the beasts. Even Scorpius flinched as the golem approached him, though the scowl on his face clearly conveyed annoyance rather than respect. “If you cannot be trusted to leave Darwin alive for torment, you don’t deserve the quarry you seek. Stand. Aside.”

Reluctantly, Scorpius returned to his place with the others. The titanic homunculus looked over the four girls before turning its attention towards the man pinned to the wall. The creature ripped the first barb out of Darwin’s right shoulder, picked him up with its left hand, and gently removed the remaining quill much like a parent would pull away a splinter.

It wasn’t long before the golem tossed the second barb to the ground that Darwin sharply breathed in, like a diver desperately coming up for air. Darwin’s blood, having ceased flowing when it’s host’s heart stopped beating, began to ooze from his wounds once more. The four girls were startled by his sudden restoration, though Monika almost wept at seeing his revival.

“Given your obsession with machinations, it’s confounding that you weren’t expecting this eventuality,” the mineral monster stated as the crimson fluid spilling from Darwin’s head began to ebb. As his breathing finally leveled out, Darwin tried to look upon the person manhandling him, but his undamaged eye was still glassed over and unfocused. Before Darwin could actually work up the strength to respond, the creature pulled his prisoner close to his mouth and whispered so quietly the Literature Club membership almost couldn’t hear it. “Though perhaps you were, given the emphasis you placed on having a backup plan.”

Without warning the golem tossed Darwin into Monika’s arms, the emerald-eyed girl almost dropping him if not for the aid of her three friends. The stone being’s crystal protrusions began to glow as it extended a hand towards the group. In an instant, a purple circle appeared underneath Darwin and each of the girls. Then, in another, they were gone.

An eerie silence filled the underground chamber, as the light and color from the golem’s crystals faded completely. As the swarm of creatures tried to comprehend what they’d just witnessed, a single voice broke the stillness.

“This one told you they wouldn’t die here,” Prophet muttered as the child she held onto breathed a sigh of relief. Conversely, the wraith’s statement had finally pushed Scorpius’ rage over the edge.

“You– you fucking traitor! Do you have any idea what you’ve done, Beacon? What you’ve denied us?” The arachnoid cursed as the rest of the crowd began to match his agitation. The golem looked over the furious mob, an expression of peace somehow gracing his stone visage.

“Oh, I’m well aware. I have preserved life, an action I feel no regrets for,” the one called Beacon calmly stated as the crowd’s uproar reached new heights. Yet the chaos soon died down as another being made its way to the front.

“…I’m sure you realize what happens next?” The source of the statement was the same unnatural voice that heralded the horde’s arrival immediately after Darwin was cut down.

The figure was almost featureless, like a black silhouette or a shadow granted a third dimension. However, a multicolored fluid spilled from various incisions across its body, including where its eyes and mouth should be, leaving a rainbow trail everywhere it went. Despite its simplicity and non-threatening aesthetic, all the other monsters looked upon this creature clearly terrified of it.

“Indeed. My powers are drained, and I’m helpless. I will not be leaving this tomb alive,” Beacon frankly admitted as the other monster prepared to surge. “Yet it matters not. For with my sacrifice, you have already lost.”

“Oh my child, it’s never about who wins the fight,” the featureless being explained as its rainbow-stained teeth grew into a slasher-smile, while his legion began to encircle the defenseless savior. “It’s about what we lose along the way.”

* * *

 

The first thing Yuri noticed when she opened her eyes was the darkness of their surroundings. The next was the cold touch of the night’s air against her skin.  She and the rest of the Literature Club were actually outside, their first time exploring anywhere in the real world other than the bunker. Yuri listened to the soft “crunch” of the grass underneath her socks as she surveyed the new surroundings.

They were standing on an empty plain, with what looked to be a highway nearby them. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, with the aid of the moon and the stars, Yuri could see that only other landmarks were several isolated trees scattered around and a small pile of rocks nearby them.

Although none of the four members of the Literature Club had a perfect handle on what was going on, being in one location and appearing in another without any understanding of why was enough to leave anyone speechless. The fact that they’d also experienced more terror and confusion in one moment than most people do in an entire lifetime was just icing on the mind-numbing cake.

The only person who might be able to answer their myriad of questions, Darwin, was in no condition to do so. Although his injuries seemed to be healing faster than humanly possible, his brain clearly hadn’t fully recovered from the damage it had suffered. Darwin looked around, appearing just as perplexed as the rest of them. A long moment of silence passed as the quintet tried to gather their thoughts and calm their nerves.

“…What the fucking shit just happened?!” Natsuki, having apparently finished collecting her thoughts and deciding to leave her nerves as they were, suddenly shouted. Her unexpected outburst nearly caused her friends to topple over in surprise; though the injured one sitting on the ground didn’t seem to notice it.

“W-while I wouldn’t use such words, I have to admit that I’m plagued by the same curiosity,” Yuri admitted, recovering from her fright. “Monika, how’s Darwin? For once I could go for one of his long explanations.”

Monika looked over their shell-shocked host, his right eye shut tight and still covered in blood, before turning to Yuri and shaking her head.

No one knew what to do next. It was impossible to know just how far they were from civilization, most of them were missing their shoes, and the closest thing they had to a guide in this reality was still experiencing the effects of substantial head trauma.

When you reach an impasse, sometimes the best thing to do is address what you can, rather than obsessing over what you can’t. It didn’t take a genius to see that, out of all of them, Sayori was clearly the most shaken up. Yuri, the calmest of the group, slowly put her hands and Sayori’s shoulder. The gothic girl tried to put on a comforting smile, wanting to make her request as unintimidating as possible.

“Sayori, while Monika and Natsuki tend to Darwin, would you be willing to speak in private for a moment?” Yuri asked, the unexpected question throwing everyone off. Still, Sayori didn’t know what else she should be doing nor did she want to dismiss her friend, so she nodded her head in agreement. “Excellent, we shall return momentarily.”

Although confused, Monika and Natsuki didn’t pry into what Yuri was planning, instead turning their attention towards the injured boy. Sayori followed her purple-haired friend as she led them just far enough away from the others to be out of earshot.

“I-is… is everything okay?” Sayori asked, once Yuri ceased walking upon arriving at one of the nearby small trees.

“…That’s very much like you, worrying about others more than yourself.” Yuri stated as she drew closer to her friend, her expression a mix of gratitude and concern. “Sayori, I want you to know that you did down there was incredibly courageous.”

“O-oh, well it was no big deal. I’m the club president, after all. I have to look out for my fellow members…” Sayori explained as she pressed her index fingers together. Her hands then collapsed into a tight grip as she fought back the tears welling up in her eyes. “Even if I was powerless to do anything helpful… I mean, we almost… you all almost… oh god, I–”

Yuri took Sayori in her arms, a gesture the club president was all too happy to accept as she softly sobbed into her friend’s shoulder. The coral-haired girl didn’t cry for too long, taking deep breaths to try and calm herself down.

“Feeling better?” Yuri asked as she and Sayori broke their embrace.

“Much. Thank you,” Sayori stated while wiping the last of the tears from her eyes. “And… I’m sorry too. I don’t intend for this to become a common occurrence or anything.”

“Nonsense, I don’t mind in the least,” Yuri promised, her smile offering Sayori more assurance than she’d ever know. However, the concern soon returned to the purple-eyed girl’s visage, a change that didn’t go unnoticed. “It’s just… please don’t do anything so reckless like that again. Yes, you are the club president, but it’s not like we’re expecting you to protect us from nightmarish creatures. Plus, I don’t think any of us could bear the thought of losing you. So please, don’t feel the need to risk your life for our sake.”

Yuri thought her appeal was fairly reasonable and designed to be reassuring, yet she could tell by Sayori’s expression that it had the opposite effect. Sayori looked sadder than Yuri had ever seen her before, yet no tears sprang from her eyes. The club president looked away, clearly ashamed by whatever doubts were plaguing her.

“Sayori… I won’t force you to divulge whatever’s on your mind, but please don’t think my promise no longer applies. If you need to talk about it, you can,” Yuri reminded her smaller friend. Sayori looked back up, the expression in her eyes conveying that whatever was causing her so much turmoil was something she’d already made peace with on some level.

“…The truth is, it doesn’t really matter if anyone wants me to live, because… I don’t,” Sayori admitted, this confession being the first thing the blue-eyed girl ever told her that actually gave the gothic girl pause. Instantly, a realization crossed Yuri’s mind that likely should’ve happened much sooner.

“When we were in Act 5, when you were hanging from the ceiling, that was because you…” Yuri trailed off, unable to finish her thought. Sayori, understanding her meaning, nodded in confirmation. Yuri may have already had some handle on dealing with the existence of monsters, yet the reality of her friend’s suffering was something she wasn’t sure how to handle.

“Monika may have driven me to that point, but I’d always… thought about doing it. I even made the noose long before I actually tried to use it,” Sayori explained, unable to meet Yuri’s gaze any longer. “Now that we’re in a world where nothing about our old lives mattered, I don’t feel the pressure that kept me going anymore. I… I don’t want to hurt you guys, but I don’t want to place the burden of giving me a reason to live on all of you either. I’m just… I’m so scared…”

For the first time, Yuri felt genuine anger towards Darwin. Sayori claims she chose to prepare for her own end, but Yuri felt fairly safe in assuming that was a memory Darwin implanted, likely justified for adding realism. Her fury dissipated when she remembered that he’d never intended to inflict that kind of pain on a real person, but she couldn’t help but wonder what other damage they’d each have to face in the future due to his mistake.

Deciding to focus on what was right in front of her first, Yuri tried her hardest to think of how to respond in a manner that could offer Sayori some manner of hope. All the while, the growing silence made Sayori more and more certain that she shouldn’t have said anything.

Hearing the sound of the leaves rustling above them in the wind, Yuri suddenly realized exactly what she had to do. To Sayori’s surprise, Yuri leapt just high enough to reach the nearest branch and pulled a leaf off.

“Here, feel this,” Yuri said as she handed the plant over to Sayori. The club president ran her thumb over the leaf, unsure what she was supposed to be getting out of this. “This is why you should live.”

“…Because of leaves?” the utterly confused Sayori asked, as Yuri realized she probably could’ve been clearer.

“I– no, it’s what it represents. It’s something real, tangible, that you can sense,” Yuri explained, as Sayori recognized that she’d never done something as banal as hold a leaf in her hand until now. “I know everything’s frightening, but think about how lucky we are. We have eighteen years of life experience, yet every tactile sensation is going to be brand new! A warm meal on a cold night, a frozen treat on a hot day, the smell of the ocean, the sound of rain tapping against your window, the bliss of sleeping in all day, the tenderness of a lover’s embrace, and so many other things that we might have memories of but we also get to experience for the first time!”

Sayori’s eyes started to widen as the scope of what Yuri was suggesting took root in her mind. The excited purple-haired girl took her friend’s hands in her own, her positive energy infecting Sayori like a virus.

“And there are movies and shows we haven’t seen, games we haven’t played, books we haven’t read, and poems we haven’t written!” Yuri listed off before her jubilation started to die down. “The reason you find to keep going on doesn’t have to be this massive goal. It can be one small thing, or even a lot of small things! I just… I don’t want you to be so scared that you miss out on everything you’ve yet to enjoy. You’re such a kind person, even if you don’t believe so, and you deserve every ounce of happiness this world has to offer you.”

How strange it was, that the one who immersed herself in the macabre so often would find such a positive outlook on their new leases on life, while the one so used to raising others’ spirits was now being lifted up by someone else.

Sayori wrapped Yuri in another hug, not to weep into her shoulder but to show her appreciation for her friend’s efforts. The two girls held each other for a long time, until Sayori finally broke away to wipe the single tear that was building the edge of her left eyelid.

“Thank you, Yuri. You don’t know what hearing that means to me… Which is why I feel terrible that I have you to ask you for something else,” Sayori explained as her bittersweet smile turned into a serious gaze. “Please don’t tell Natsuki that I tried to… check out early. Monika already knows, and I don’t feel like you think any differently of me now than you did before, but Natsuki… I just don’t want her treating me like I’m not the person that I’m… trying to be.”

As if on cue, Yuri spotted Natsuki strolling away from Darwin and towards the two of them. Certain that time wasn’t on her side, Yuri gave a hasty response.

“O-of course. Everything stays between us,” Yuri promised, though concern began to seep into her mind. Yuri didn’t love the idea of Sayori keeping Natsuki in the dark about her struggles, nor did she want to be dishonest to her other friend either, yet the gothic girl knew she couldn’t do anything that would betray her club president’s trust.

“Everything okay over here?” Natsuki asked once she finally reached the pair.

“Yup, all good!” Sayori said, finally displaying the excited persona that immediately put both of the other girls at ease.

“Good, because Darwin’s starting to talk. Well, he’s making noises anyways…” Natsuki said as she led the others back to Monika. Before they finished the trek, Sayori looked back at the woman who helped her recontextualize her darkest thoughts.

“By the way Yuri, I should’ve done this the moment you offered it to me, but if you ever need to talk to someone I’m always here for you as well,” Sayori offered, her proposal deeply touching Yuri, though in the back of her mind she was hesitant to ever take up such an offer. “Oh! Same goes for you too Natsuki!”

“Um… thanks?” Natsuki said, unsure exactly how to react to the unexpected generosity.

Once the trio finally arrived where Monika was sitting beside Darwin, Sayori and Yuri could see that he was struggling to speak, like a child trying to say its first words.

“What am… I doing here? Where’s Beacon? He should be…” Darwin finally managed to ask, the words sounding as lost as he clearly felt. Although they lacked the answer to his question, given that it was one they sought as well, the four girls still leaned in closer to hear whatever Darwin had to say next. “And… who are you guys supposed to be?”

“I– w-we’re your friends,” the surprised Monika explained, a statement that the rest of the Literature Club wasn’t entirely sure was true; in light of everything that's happened since they came to this reality. Still, given that they needed him for now, they didn’t challenge it. “We were characters in a video game. You brought us to the real world.”

“…Sounds like something I’d do,” Darwin muttered, as he rubbed his bloody eyelid with his right hand, observing the red stain left upon his fingers. “Was I was hurt somehow?”

“That’s an understatement,” Natsuki sarcastically stated, though there was a clear look of concern on her face. What was unclear was whether it was for Darwin, her friends, or even just related to her own worries. “So is any of what Monika's saying ringing a bell? Do you remember us at all?”

“…It’ll come back to me,” Darwin stated as he tried to stand back up, nearly falling over in the process. Steadied by Monika, Darwin began limping towards the pile of rocks.

“Darwin, if you have the strength to talk, we need you to be honest with us,” Monika said as she allowed him to lean on her for support. “So much happened in the bunker that we still don’t understand. Why were all those monster down there, and how did we end up out here?”

“…Too many, too dangerous. Someone… had to contain them,” Darwin labored to explain, his damaged neural pathways making walking and speaking a difficult task. “The golem, Beacon, was my way out… in case they escaped. Volunteered to be… a false prisoner. He could… teleport things. Five… was his limit.”

Tears began to spill from Darwin’s good eye; though he appeared unaware it was happening. It then dawned on the four girls that someone had just given his life for them, without even knowing who they were. Though they knew nothing about Beacon in turn, each felt the weight of that sacrifice.

Though they would’ve arrived sooner had one of them not been moving at such a slow pace, the five survivors finally arrived at the obviously man-made rock pile.

“Bunker will be locked down… if I’m gone. Won’t hold them for long… We need what’s in there…” Darwin warned, struggling to lift his arm up to point out a gap in-between two boulders. Darwin then started to say something else but stopped himself as he took an uncomfortably long look at Monika’s face. “Wait… weren’t you dead?”

With that final statement, Darwin fell off of the emerald-eyed girl’s shoulder and collapsed into unconsciousness. As Monika, Sayori, and Yuri rushed in to check on him, Natsuki instead decided she cared more about investigating the rock formation. Inside the crevasse, the petite girl found a purple duffle bag almost as large as she was. Hauling the satchel out into the open and dropping it on the ground, Natsuki had almost undone the zipper before a brilliant light blinded her.

Once her eyes adjusted to the sudden illumination enough to comprehend what was happening, Natsuki spotted a military convoy that either approached impossibly quietly or had been waiting for them since before the quintet even exited the bunker.

As the two vehicle-mounted spotlights trained on the confused group, a swarm of men in uniforms spilled out from the trucks and swiftly surrounded them. Although Natsuki was uncertain exactly what law enforcement was supposed to look like in this reality, the understanding she’d already been instilled with told her that the purple-lensed helmets and the patches reading “APART” were abnormal. The fact that they were all aiming rifles at them didn’t exactly put her at ease either.

Before any of the girls could raise a protest or do anything to defend themselves, one of the soldiers lobbed a cylindrical object directly at the quintet’s feet. A loud “hiss” accompanied the emission of a potent vapor, quickly inhibiting their ability to remain conscious.

The last thing Natsuki saw was the five of them being carried into separate vehicles, before the darkness finally overtook her.

* * *

Don’t say anything. That’s what you’re supposed to do in these situations, right?

When Yuri had woken up, she found herself sitting in an enclosed room, barely lit by a single light bulb. Underneath her was a metal chair, the frigid temperature of which matched the steel table her hands laid upon.

Yuri was unrestrained, with only a single door blocking her path. Yet before she had a chance to test whether or not it was unlocked, said door opened as a young man (probably not much older than herself) entered and took a seat at the opposite end of the table.

The purple-haired girl always struggled when dealing with people, yet she dreaded interacting with this man more than anything. Sure, creatures the likes of which she’d never seen were undeniably scary. Yet that was an area that made sense to Yuri on some level. However, there was a certain mundane horror about being trapped in a room and having no means of avoiding a conversation with an intimidating figure.

Yuri had already worked out that this man must be here to interrogate her. Though she didn’t know if she even had any valuable information to give him, she was utterly convinced that anything she did say could cost her and her friends dearly. Steeling her courage, Yuri put on her bravest face like a soldier prepares a helmet for war.

“Welp, the good news is–” the young man began before he was interrupted by the room’s only other occupant.

 “I won’t talk! You’re not getting anything from me! I know my rights! Where’s my lawyer?!” Yuri launched a barrage of declarations and demands; all while the man on the opposite side of the enclosed space gave a blank stare of confusion.

“I… look lady, I’m barely an intern. Please don’t make my job any harder than it already–” Yuri’s interrogator didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence before he was interrupted by another woman, one the purple-haired girl didn’t recognize.

If the concept of intimidation had an avatar, it was this person. She towered over both of the other people in the room, even if they’d been standing. Her jet-black hair was tied up in a bun, allowing Yuri to easily spy the burn mark on the right side of her neck. She wore a military uniform and, although Yuri didn’t recognize the division she belonged to, the number of patches clearly indicated she was of great importance.

“I heard a commotion, which meant someone was unable to do the simple task of informing this girl that she’s free to go,” the woman coldly stated to her mortified employee. Without another word, she gestured to the hallway behind her and the young man immediately vacated the room. Looking back at Yuri, the woman made a similar gesture but pointed in a different direction. “You, with me. Now.”

Yuri, terrified out of her mind, didn’t hesitate to follow her new escort. The woman brought Yuri into what looked like the hallway of a typical office, a stark contrast to the concrete walls she’d experienced in Darwin’s abode. They didn’t travel far, stopping at the door to a room immediately next to the one she’d just left.

“My name is Bernadette Ortiz, commander of the American Paranormal Activities Response Team. Anything outside normal human comprehension is under my jurisdiction. That includes you,” Bernadette frankly explained. The woman leaned in close enough for Yuri to feel her breath, causing the girl’s heart to frantically beat in fear. “Under normal circumstances, we’d be tearing you apart both physically and mentally to find out how a purple-eyed child who isn’t supposed to exist is standing on U.S. soil. Fortunately for you, I don’t have to.”

Bernadette finished her speech and opened the door, revealing Darwin sitting at a table and signing something. The other three members of the Literature Club were waiting around nearby, their faces perking up in excitement upon seeing Yuri.

“Well, that’s… anticlimactic,” Yuri muttered as she stepped into the room and was immediately caught in a group hug by her three friends. Darwin, however, didn’t even look up from what he was working on.

Despite being so egregiously wounded, the only evidence that Darwin had even been injured was a hole in the right shoulder of his t-shirt. Otherwise, he seemed totally fine, even though he wouldn’t acknowledge anyone else’s presence.

“Good to see you up and about! You slept for almost five hours,” Monika explained; recognition of the large amount of time she'd missed immediately took Yuri by surprise.

“That’s right, and hopefully in the future we won’t have to be gassed by paranoid government thugs,” Natsuki bitterly stated, her vitriol clearly meant to be overheard by the agent just outside the room.

“My team certainly didn’t need to knock you out. They also didn’t know they didn’t need to knock you out,” Bernadette stated as she shrugged her shoulders. “Next time they can just shoot you if you'd prefer.”

“But… I don’t understand. Why go through all this trouble just to let us go? And, for that matter, why on Earth did you kidnap us in the first place?” Yuri asked, uncertain whether Bernadette's offer was a joke or not. The other three girls all shared a look indicating that they were also wondering the same things as Yuri.

“This organization has known about Darwin for a long time. He’s an immortal super-genius with seemingly infinite resources, so it was our job to find out exactly what he was doing. My team was scouting where we believed he was based when they stumbled upon your group,” Bernadette explained before Natsuki raised her hand as if she were still a child in school. Surprised and confused, Bernadette pointed towards the pink-haired girl, indicating she could speak.

“Back up a second, Darwin’s a genius? Like… seriously? This guy?” Natsuki asked while pointing at Darwin, her insult causing the immortal to pause for a second before he resumed writing. Bernadette, ignoring Natsuki, continued her explanation.

“…Anyways, not long after my guys brought you here, I sent a group in to try and inspect the bunker. We didn’t know how bad it was down there, and my team was completely slaughtered. Now all the monsters are loose,” Bernadette gave a long sigh; the magnitude of the situation bore down heavily upon everyone in the room. “So, in exchange for your release, Darwin is going to give us the means to clean up his mess.”

"There, it’s done,” Darwin finally spoke, unusually focused and uncharacteristically dour as he handed the contract to Bernadette. Darwin then reached into his pocket and pulled out a flash drive, which he gave to the commander as well. “Inside this are my files on every monster I’ve ever encountered, as well as a tracking algorithm for the ones I’ve been able to tag. Congrats, they’re your problems now.”

“Wait, that’s it? You’re just going to give her all of that?” Natsuki asked, clearly just as surprised as everyone else by Darwin’s apathetic behavior. “I mean, it’s not like a give a shit what you do or anything, but I’m assuming this isn’t the kind of thing you’d easily give up on.”

“…You’re not wrong. I’m sacrificing my life’s work and my greatest responsibility here, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel some guilt for that,” Darwin muttered, looking at the Literature Club with sad eyes. “I’ve spent hundreds of years keeping mankind safe from the worst of the worst, just because I was the only one who could. Then, only a few hours ago, I watched it all fall apart. I’m just… I’m so tired.”

It was at that moment that Yuri actually noticed how fatigued Darwin actually looked. While some of that could be chalked up to a lack of sleep (something they were all suffering from) or having to regrow an entire portion of his brain, the exhaustion in his eyes really conveyed just how long he must have spent in isolation in order to protect humanity.

“Anyways, mankind doesn’t need me to safeguard it from monsters anymore. If something new pops up then fine, I’ll lend a hand,” Darwin continued, a small smile starting to spread across his weary face. “Otherwise, I think my friends and I are long overdue for some normal, slice-of-life adventures.”

“That… sounds really nice, actually. Does that mean we can go home now?” Monika asked. The fact that she was referring to bunker as her home didn’t go unnoticed by the other three girls, nor were they unconcerned by it.

“Not yet. We still have one more loose end to wrap up,” Darwin explained as he grabbed the purple duffle bag off the ground, placing it on the table. “ The phrase ‘Know thy enemy’ is something I’ve always found applicable in my work. People are impossible to predict as a whole, but a single person isn’t… if you can understand how they think. And that’s all these monsters are at the end of the day, just twisted people.”

Darwin unzipped the bag, which contained numerous supplies, including bits of technology and unnatural looking objects whose purposes were impossible to guess.

“By now the rest of the former prisoners will have left the bunker and gone into hiding, desperate to avoid recapture,” Darwin further elaborated, ensuring all eyes were on him as he laid out the plan. “There is one, however, who’ll still be there waiting for me. He wants revenge but isn’t patient enough to run away and return with a smarter plan. If we want to get the bunker back, we’ll need to get past him.”

“Since it’s our job to capture these things now, what will you require?” Bernadette asked, surprising everyone with her sudden willingness to cooperate. Darwin, after considering for a moment, pulled a plastic box about the size of his fist out from the bag. The immortal flipped open the lid, revealing the case’s contents to be several sky-blue crystals embedded in a larger rock.

“We’ll need this, a ride back, your best marksman, and…” Darwin trailed off from his list as he looked back to the four members of the Literature Club, a clear expression of guilt adorning his face. “…a distraction.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "At some point I'm going to write emotional scenes between characters other than Sayori and Yuri, but not on this day..."
> 
> Welp, once again I've written a story that ended up being so long I had to break it into two parts. If I end up finishing this nonsense it's going to have way more chapters than I intended, and I apologize in advance for that.
> 
> I'm glad I was able to get this one out a little earlier than usual at least. Thank you everyone for reading and I hope you have a good week!


	4. We Want Breakfast

“This is the worst possible idea,” Natsuki bluntly stated as she and her three friends wandered through the open field.

After being unceremonious left on the side of the highway, the four members of the Literature Club began their trek towards the bunker’s hidden entrance. Although they’d been provided with shoes and warm coats to better withstand the frigid night, this second excursion upon the empty plain was still far more nerve-wracking than the previous one. At least then they were trying to get away from the danger, instead of actively moving towards it.

“Yes Natsuki, we heard you the first time. As well as the other four times,” Monika responded, the tinge of annoyance clearly present in her voice.

The former president of the Literature Club was convinced that she was the only one who understood the importance of their task. Although no one was thrilled by the prospect of being a “distraction” for the monster still lingering inside their new home, including Monika, the emerald-eyed girl willing stood at the front of the group because she knew what was at stake. However, it wasn’t that the other girls didn’t understand why they had to do this, they simply didn’t want to.

“Hey, don’t get snippy with me just because the love of your life isn’t into you,” Natsuki spat from the back of the group. Monika gave a weary sigh, as Yuri and Sayori exchanged concerned looks. Was their discussion with Natsuki about giving Monika another chance already forgotten?

“No one’s asking you to pretend to be happy with this situation, but that doesn’t give you an excuse to be mean,” Monika replied; still nursing the embarrassing pain she’d suffered from Darwin’s rejection of her romantic efforts.

“Oh, it doesn’t? Because I’m not the one leading my friends to certain doom just to try and impress some guy,” Natsuki retorted, causing Monika to turn around and shoot the pink-haired girl a venomous stare. “Hell, if you really wanted to get us all killed, I’m kind of proud that you’re at least getting someone else to do your dirty work this time!”

“Natsuki. Too far,” Yuri interjected while a stern look of disappointment coated her visage. However, her attempt to prevent a fight came a little too late, as Monika was already walking towards the back of the group to confront her accuser.

“Look, I don’t know how to get it through your thick skull, but we don’t have anywhere else to go! If Darwin can’t get back into the bunker, he won’t have the means to shelter us. And right now the alternative is the four of us ending up in APART’s custody,” Monika tried to calmly explain, though her anger still seeped into her words as she glared down at the petite girl. “We have to do this, and we just need to trust that Darwin knows what he’s doing–”

“Oh, is that all we need to do? Because it seems like what we shouldn’t do is blindly follow along with the requests of the guy we’ve caught lying to us multiple times! Do you have any common sense at all, you dumb bitch?!” Natsuki interrupted, her insults causing Monika’s ire to rise almost higher than she could contain it. Both girls looked ready to rip something apart, and would gladly settle for each other if they were pushed just a little bit farther.

"Stop it, please!” Sayori cried, the legendary mediator doing everything she could to head this off before it got worse. Both Natsuki and Monika’s fury died down when their club president moved between them, but they didn’t take their hateful eyes off of each other. “I know we’re all scared, but turning on our friends isn’t how we deal with that! We need to work together, which means we can’t hold grudges that only serve to tear us apart.”

“What you guys don’t seem to get is that I’m trying to forgive her! She’s the one making it impossible!” Natsuki retorted, clearly aware that last comment was directed towards her. “I mean, god, I’m not an idiot. I know we can’t avoid doing this, and I’m not even really upset by the part we’re playing in the actual scheme. What pisses me off Monika is that, when Darwin told us the plan, you agreed before the rest of us even had a chance to talk about it!

Natsuki’s words caused Monika’s anger to finally subsided. She had been so ready to help Darwin, to do anything that might give them all some sense of normalcy again; she hadn’t even considered what her friends might’ve been thinking.

“You’re not the club president anymore, you can’t just make decisions that affect all of us like that,” Natsuki continued, her own rage subsiding, causing her to look away from Monika’s face in shame. “It’s just… despite everything, I still care about you, okay? I don’t think I can trust you. I don’t even know if I’d consider you a friend. But I still don’t want to see you get hurt falling for someone that might not be who you think they are. Failing that, I just don’t want you to drag us all down with you.”

“I… you’re absolutely right,” Monika admitted, causing the pink-haired girl to look back at her in surprise. “I’m… obsessed with him. I don’t say that as a trite expression of affection. It’s unhealthy, and it’s something I need to work on. The worst part is, I know there’s a possibility my feelings aren’t entirely my own. And… that doesn’t bother me, which is the part that scares me the most.”

All four of the girls ruminated in silence for a moment, reflecting on their own fears regarding the uncertain authenticity of their senses of self.

“Anyways, I know I don’t have any right to whine to you three considering all that I’ve done, but… I guess it’s hard not to feel like I somehow earned this, you know?” Monika sheepishly confessed, the expression on Natsuki’s face indicating that the former club president was treading on thin ice. “After spending all that time isolated in the Void, I never would’ve dreamed I’d be inhabiting the same reality as the one I love. That’s why I’m so… afraid that this happy ending will slip from my grasp if I don’t fight for it.”

Natsuki’s visage didn’t soften, if anything she appeared only one word away from restarting the shouting match. The pink-haired girl didn’t want to believe that Monika was really trying to rationalize her recent shitty behavior, especially with such a piss-poor excuse. Understanding the fine line she was walking, Monika chose her next words carefully, while managing not to diminish their sincerity.

“Yet putting him before the three of you, especially at the cost of your safety, is something the old Monika would do. I… don’t want to be that person anymore,” hearing the honesty in Monika’s voice finally caused Natsuki’s tense stares to relent. “There’s no excusing how I’ve treated you guys. So I’m sorry. And thank you Natsuki, for reminding me not to make the same mistakes.”

“…Well, I guess you’re the kind of person who needs someone else to keep their head straight. Fortunately, I’ll always be around to knock some sense into you when needed,” Natsuki replied with her signature toothy grin. Monika gave a lighthearted chuckle in response, while Sayori and Yuri simultaneously breathed sighs of relief. Crisis averted.

“That’s very considerate of you. You have a much bigger heart than everyone says,” Monika said, giving Natsuki a playful wink.

“Heh, just goes to show that you can’t judge a book by it’s– Wait hold on, who the hell is saying bad things about me?!” Natsuki asked, grabbing Monika by her shoulders to try and shake the answer out of the taller girl.

“A-ah, no one! I swear!” Monika swiftly replied as she escaped from Natsuki’s grasp. Sayori and Yuri began to laugh at the pleasant display, with Monika and Natsuki eventually joining in once the latter had given up her pursuit.

This was the first real time the four of them actually felt like a team since coming to the real world. They’d been so lost and splintered, yet all it ultimately took to bring them back together was sharing a genuine moment of joy. This is what the Literature Club should be about, people who love one another working hard just to make each other smile. As Sayori listened to the sound of her friend’s laughter, she felt a long lost ember of hope reignite within her.

Yet a sudden gust of hot wind rushing behind her and the shocked expressions of fear upon her friend’s faces reminded Sayori how easily that spark could be extinguished. The blue-eyed girl turned around, bringing her face to face with the intimidating volcanic form of the familiar Speed Demon.

“Well now, are you young ladies lost? I’d be careful if I were you four, they say there’s a strange character running around these parts,” the burning effigy sardonically stated, instantly shifting from one location to another. Sayori only noticed it now, due to his proximity, but the demon radiated heat so strong that she almost considered removing her coat.

“W-wait, y-you’re still here?” Sayori asked; playing the part that their plan required of her. “B-but Darwin said–”

“Ah, see, there’s your mistake. Believing whatever he tells you,” Speed Demon interrupted, his conceited tone immediately getting on everyone’s still-frightened nerves. “Sure, the rest of those cowards are long gone by now, but I know Darwin has to come back here eventually. Not surprising he sent you four to scout ahead. That’s the kind of person Darwin is; he takes advantage of your trust.”

“Oh, and you know him so much better than we do?” Monika defensively interjected. Her sudden rebuttal wasn’t part of the plan, though none of the other girls wanted to take a risk by pointing this out. So long as Monika didn’t agitate him too much, this still fit into their overall goal: keeping him talking. “Seems like it’d be hard to gauge someone’s personality when you spend all your time locked in a cell.”

“Well, given that this is the first time I’ve seen the night’s sky since Mount Vesuvius wiped out Pompeii, I’d say I’ve at least known Darwin longer than any of you,” Speed Demon calmly responded, the new information causing Monika’s confidence to falter.

“You, ah, speak English surprising well, considering…” Yuri tried to add, anything to keep the conversation going. “Even your vernacular is different than what I’d expect.”

“Yeah well, Darwin liked to keep us informed about what’s going on in the world, including the modern languages.” Speed Demon explained. His posture indicated annoyance, though whether in response the question itself or just thinking about Darwin was unclear. “Probably thought doing so would help with rehabilitation, or at least keep us entertained. As if that makes up for centuries of imprisonment. Heh, the upside was I had plenty of time to think of creative ways to hurt that immortal bastard.”

“Ooh, tough guy. Y’know, for someone so eager for revenge, I seem to remember you still backing down when Beacon showed up,” Natsuki’s brash insults were good for goading the effigy into responding, though her following comment caused the other three members of the Literature Club go wide-eyed with a mixture of frustration and fear. “In fact, I think all this talk is just bluster. After all, you haven’t even tried to kill us yet.”

“…There’s a very simple reason for that; death is slow,” Speed Demon’s menacing tone made Natsuki immediately realize this was probably the wrong train of thought to lead him down. “None of you are worth killing; you’re barely worth slowing down enough to converse with. The way I perceive the world; even the quickest deaths drag on forever. Yet Darwin can’t die, and I’ll gladly watch every second of his agony for an eternity. That volcanic eruption may have changed me, but it wasn’t what stole centuries of my life from me. He did.”

“A-and I can see why that would make you so furious, but is that really the life you want?” Sayori asked, surprising both Speed Demon and the other girls with the sincerity of her question. This wasn’t an act; she seemed genuinely concerned. “I don’t know why Darwin would lock you away for so long, but… I don’t think you’re a bad person. You say you don’t like to kill, even if it’s just because it’s inconvenient, but you also didn’t want to hurt us when we first met.”

“I also didn’t stop the other monsters from trying to, so maybe don’t presume you know me,” Speed Demon responded, though the uncertainty in his own voice betrayed his posturing.

“I think… I think that’s because you’re scared of the other monsters as well as Darwin. Which, funny enough, put you in the same boat as the four of us,” Sayori admitted, her earnest smile putting the entity on-edge. “I wish… I wish I could give you a hug, because I think you could really use one.”

“I– That’s so– You don’t– I… I don’t understand,” Speed Demon confidence faded away as he failed to articulate his thoughts. “Why… are you trying to be nice to me?”

At that moment, as the fearful persona faded away, the rest of the Literature Club saw the same lost soul that Sayori did. Despite his horrifying appearance, the four girls could now see someone that they might’ve been friends with under different circumstances.

“I… What’s your name?” Speed Demon asked, the innocence of the question putting everyone at ease.

“I’m Sayori. That’s Monika, Natsuki, and Yuri,” the club president said as she pointed towards each friend she introduced. “It’s nice to meet you!”

“Heh, likewise…” Speed Demon awkwardly stated, despite feeling more relaxed than he had in a long time. “…I used to have a name, long before I started referring to myself like a wannabe supervillain. I… I don’t know if the fact that I can’t remember it was a side effect of my transformation, or something Darwin did to me. I have no idea what he means to you guys, but he clearly doesn’t deserve you. I’d honestly suggest the four of you…”

Speed Demon stopped his heartfelt speech, a look of suspicion appearing upon his inhuman visage. Each of the girls sensed the tension that suddenly appeared, made worse by their uncertainty of what was wrong.

“Wait… four. Why would Darwin send all four of you out here? Sure he’s cowardly and a dumbass, but he’s not that… impractical. This… is this some sort of trick?!” Speed Demon demanded, the unexpected return of his terrifying persona nearly caused Sayori to fall over in fright.

“W-wait! Don’t–” Sayori barely had a chance to get any words out before the burning effigy’s anger rose to uncontainable levels.

“I– I can’t believe I let myself become so vulnerable, all because of you! Everything you said, it was all just some ploy to distract me! You fucking liars!” Speed Demon’s body literally burst into flames, forcing the quartet backward to avoid being burned. The monster likely would’ve inflicted all sorts of harm upon those helpless girls, had he not heard Darwin cry out in pain behind him.

While the girls were keeping Speed Demon distracted, Darwin managed to creep up behind the beast, having followed them in secret the entire time. However, just as the immortal was about to strike, the demon’s sudden outburst lit Darwin’s face ablaze.

The former prisoner turned around just in time to watch his jailer drop the blue crystal in his hand, as he clutched his burned visage in agony. Darwin didn’t have time to recover from the sudden assault before Speed Demon had lifted him up by his throat, singeing the flesh with his touch.

“Well, I have to say I’m surprised. You put these girls in terrible danger, yet you still bothered to get involved? Maybe you’re not such a milksop. You’re just cruel,” Speed Demon said, his voice conveying pure jubilation by having Darwin in his grasp. “Guessing that crystal was supposed to be your secret weapon? Shame, but you shouldn’t have bet everything on this one gamble.”

“…Who said this was… my only plan?” Darwin struggled to say, his melted face having already started to heal.

Up hearing this, Speed Demon desperately scanned the area for the next threat. There was nothing for miles, and none of the girls were making a move to stop him. In his panic, the monster made two mistakes: not looking behind Darwin, and failing to actually move.

A fountain of blood shot out from Darwin’s left shoulder, covering the bullet that had passed clean through him. By the time Speed Demon realized what was happening, it was too late to get out of the way. The metal slug melted almost instantly upon coming in contact with the demon’s molten blood, though it mattered not, since the payload had already been delivered.

“…That was your backup plan? Congrats genius, you’ve got a shoulder wound and I don’t feel pain. What could’ve possibly possessed you to… to…” the heat from Speed Demon’s body began to die down, while the bright glow of his molten blood started to fade. “W-what did you do to me?”

“Did you know that 60% of the human body is made up of water? Yet they can still die from drinking too much,” Darwin, now free from the monster’s grip, randomly spouted as the burns on his neck began to disappear. “You might’ve assumed your molten body makes you invincible, but it’s all just a matter of finding which rock would mess up the ones you’re made out of.”

Darwin reached down, picking up the blue crystal he’d dropped earlier and holding it up to the enfeebled demon’s face.

“This is called Chalcanthite. When delivered in an aqueous solution, it has a nasty habit of shutting down the human body’s vital processes,” Darwin explained, twirling the poisonous rock in his hands as Speed Demon fell to the ground. “No idea why, but it seems to do the same thing to you. Because of its fragility, it’s also a simple matter to place a small sample inside, say, the tip of a bullet.”

“Do… do you have to taunt him like that?” Sayori asked, catching the boastful Darwin off-guard.

“…Sorry. If it helps, it’s not like he’s going to die or anything. The amount we introduced into his system will merely shut him down for the next few hours, just enough time to get him somewhere safe. Speaking of which–” Darwin placed his finger to his ear, activating the communication device Bernadette had loaned him. “We’re good here. Come pick him up.”

Off in the distance, the Sayori could hear the sound of an engine starting up, as well as the tires of a military convoy growing ever closer. Still, the far-off noise wasn’t loud enough to fully drown out the effigy’s weakened words.

“You can’t… put me back in a cage! I have to, need to, run,” the monster struggled to speak as the orange light within him turned into a sickly blue. “It’s not… fair. What right do you have… to do this to us?”

“…Y’know, you might not go out of your way to kill people, but you sure as shit don’t care about all the fires you leave in your wake whenever you run. How many buildings had you burned down before I caught you? How many people were caught inside them? How many children?” Darwin grilled the now-extinguished Speed Demon, who seemed unwilling to respond. “I had every right to stop you, and I still tried to help you too. So, congratulations, I’ll no longer be keeping you prisoner. Wish I could promise that my replacement will be nicer.”

Darwin’s final chilling words were punctuated by the arrival of the military vehicle. Three APART soldiers swiftly unloaded from the back of the truck, carrying a large Plexiglas box. Not far behind them was their leader, Bernadette, watching over the retrieval operation with her keen eyes. As the trio of troopers began to place the beast’s cold husk inside the chamber, Sayori could just make out Speed Demon’s final words, while his almost lifeless eyes fell upon the four girls.

“I was… wrong. You… deserve… each other.” 

* * *

 

“I don’t know how I feel about you essentially being a paranoid Keebler Elf,” Natsuki bitterly stated as Darwin opened a secret elevator hidden within a nearby tree.

The four girls quickly stepped inside, eager to get out of the cold. Darwin was about to enter alongside them, before Bernadette grabbed hold of his (uninjured) shoulder.

“A word?” The leader of APART wasn’t really requesting a moment of Darwin’s time, as much she was demanding it. Too tired to fight back, Darwin followed her just out of earshot of the other girls. “I’d be lying if I said I actually expected your plan to succeed, specifically the part where one of my snipers had to shoot through you. Still, I’m not too proud that I can’t admit I was wrong. If you’d be interested, there might actually be a place for you in our organization.”

“…A friend of mine died tonight. He sacrificed himself to protect me, even while fully aware that I can’t die,” Darwin simply said in response to Bernadette’s offer, the sudden statement catching the commander by surprise. “My crusade has taken so many good people from this world. Yet at least I can say that the friends I lost to it knew what they were getting into. Those four girls don’t. So, I’m done.”

Darwin stormed away from Bernadette, leaving the commander frustrated but still satisfied. The immortal entered the elevator and jabbed the button for the first floor. As the metal doors started to close, the quintet watched Bernadette finally board her vehicle and drive off into the night.

The soft hum of the elevator accentuated the silence in their little metal room. What could even be said, after everything that’d happened?

Darwin desperately tried to find the words to convey his thoughts. He wanted to apologize for being dishonest, for putting them all in danger. He wanted to say how impressed he was by their courage, especially with Sayori’s ability to actually talk down the demon.

Instead, Darwin, his body exhausted by lack of sleep and rapidly recovering from several egregious wounds, fell face-first into the elevator entrance, completely unconscious. Before any of the girls had a chance to respond, the gateway to the first floor split open, causing Darwin to land flat on the concrete.

Startled by the sudden impact, Darwin shot back up as if he’d been attacked. What he saw instead was an empty hallway; everything looking exactly as the quintet had left it. However, once Darwin turned the corner, he could see that his office had been utterly trashed.

All the wooden furniture had been practically reduced to piles of splinters, his desktop computer smashed into a thousand pieces, and his carpet sporting several large tears. Only the RMM seemed undamaged, though the scratch marks covering it showed this wasn’t for a lack of trying.

Next to his feet, Darwin found the clock he’d broken earlier now damaged beyond repair. Darwin carefully grabbed what’s left of the device, turning it over in his hands.

“…I think this was a gift from a friend of mine. I wish I could remember what happened to them,” Darwin muttered to himself. The immortal gave a sad sigh before shrugging his soldiers and dumping the clock back onto the floor.

Darwin then pressed his hand on a nearby wall, which opened up to reveal a hidden tablet. The immortal took hold of the electronic contraption and began pressing a series of commands that the other girls couldn’t see.

Without warning, several large panels opened up in the ceiling as a swarm of large spider-like robots descended onto the ground. The members of the Literature Club almost thought these were more escaped monsters, but relaxed somewhat once they noticed Darwin wasn’t reacting to the sudden intruders.

The arachnid automatons began breaking apart the debris into manageable clumps, before nearly-invisible strings pulled them back into the ceiling with their plunder. After almost a minute of removal, larger groups of the spider-bots began to replace the broken furniture with perfectly identical models. Meanwhile, pairs of the machines began fixing the computer and clock before placing them back on the desk.

In just a few minutes, the robot arachnids had made the room pristine once more; the only signs of there having been any damage were the now-empty cabinets and the still-torn rug. Their task completed, the spider-bots retreated into their hiding spots, as the panels closed behind them.

“All right, I’ll admit, that was pretty cool,” Natsuki confessed, though the other girls were now fretfully wondering if there were spider-bots hiding inside their ceilings too. “So, what’s next Mr. Wizard?”

“One second…” Darwin mumbled as he continued to tap away at his tablet. “…And scan complete! We five are the only living things inside the bunker. And yes, before you ask, there are monsters that could trick scanning tech; and yes, mine's specifically designed with those creatures in mind. We’re 100% monster free.”

“Wait seriously, all of them escaped?” Sayori asked, trying to work out the logistics of the great bunker breakout. “Boy, that must’ve taken a lot of elevator trips!”

“Well, the elevator isn’t the only way out of this place. Plus some of them can go through walls,” Darwin nonchalantly dropped, causing the others to feel a little less safe than they did before. “Anyways, I’d suggest the four of you get some rest. I mean, you guys can do whatever you want, but it’s almost one o’clock so–”

“Just the four of us?” Monika questioned. The emerald-eyed girl shared a brief glance with Natsuki, whose suspicious eyes complimented Monika’s worried gaze. “You’re not going to sleep?”

“Nah… got some stuff to put back in order,” Darwin insufficiently offered before walking away. The girls tried to follow him, as his initial path took them back towards their rooms anyways, until he turned down the hallways leading to the elevator. Before anyone could say anything, Darwin entered the metal transport and the doors closed behind him.

The four girls, suspicious yet ultimately more exhausted than anything, decided it best to turn in for the night. As they walked down the concrete corridor towards their rooms, a panicked Yuri suddenly entered a seemingly random door on their right. The other three girls found that this gateway led to the familiar library, where the purple-haired girl gave a sigh of relief that the monsters hadn’t done any damage to this chamber.

The quartet then resumed their trek, eventually arriving at their respective abodes. Bidding her friends good night, Sayori closed the door to her room and plopped onto the bed. Although sleep had evaded during her original attempt, this time it gladly eased her mind into unconsciousness.

* * *

 Monika slowly opened her eyes, feeling refreshed (if a little groggy). Unsure what time it was, Monika stumbled to her door, hoping to find her friends and figure out what the plan for today was.

As soon as she took her first step outside her room, Monika’s foot collided with a moderately sized wicker basket. After recovering from the surprise (and stubbed toe) Monika leaned down to pick up the small treasure trove.

Inside were all the basic supplies one would need to practice good hygiene; including a toothbrush, tube of toothpaste, floss, comb, hairbrush, bottle of shampoo/conditioner, bar of soap, nail file, roll of deodorant, electric razor, shaving cream, and even a box of tampons. Part of Monika hated to admit it, given how shifty he’d been with them so far, but Darwin really did think of everything.

Noticing that there were baskets outside her friends’ rooms too, Monika deduced that she was the first one to awaken. After a moment’s consideration, the brown-haired girl decided the best thing to help her wake up would be a nice shower.

Returning to her room and removing the rest of her school uniform, Monika stepped onto the heated tiles of her bathroom and turned on the water. After playing the with the temperature settings for a moment, Monika entered the glass enclosure and let the warm water rush over her body.

Although she’d bathed herself plenty of times in the game, Monika’s first shower in the real world had exceeded her expectations. The sheer relaxing bliss of feeling the water soothe her tired muscles and rejuvenate her exhausted mind made her almost consider remaining under it forever.

Eventually breaking away from her watery paradise, Monika set about completing the remaining tasks ahead of her. Although this was also technically the first time she’d ever brushed her teeth, groomed her hair, or shaved her body; the experience she’d been instilled with caused her to slip into a comfortable routine.

Refreshed and re-clothed, Monika exited her room to find Yuri standing in the hallway. The gothic girl greeted her friend with a smile, a gesture that Monika happily returned.

“Good morning Monika! Rest well I presume?” Yuri asked. Monika took notice that all the baskets from this morning were missing, meaning everyone was at least awake by now.

“Good morning to you as well Yuri. I slept fine I suppose, considering,” Monika confessed, her tired eyes conveying that she still hadn’t fully recovered from the tumultuous events of last night. Her friend, however, looked totally bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. “I have to say Yuri, it seems like you’ve really taken everything that’s happened in stride. Back in the club you always seemed so timid, yet you’ve really come out of your shell since we arrived in reality.”

“O-oh, you think so? Truth be told, I think I’m mostly getting by on the morbid curiosity of whatever horrible event might transpire next,” Yuri admitted, a small blush appearing on her cheeks. “Plus, we’ve all been through so much together that I feel as if I don’t have to be afraid of being myself anymore.”

“…About that,” Monika began, a look of guilt and concern crossing her visage. “I know I said that whole spiel when I thought we were going to die in Act 5, but I never properly apologized for what I did. I have a lot of regret regarding my actions towards you, in particular; the way I manipulated your mind. So, allow me to say I’m sor–”

“Apology accepted,” Yuri said was a kind smile, the suddenness of her pardon catching Monika by surprise. “To be honest, I’d already forgiven you, I was just waiting to hear you say sorry.”

“That’s, um, very kind of you,” Monika said, still somewhat stunned by Yuri’s blasé attitude.

“Well, it wouldn’t really be fair of me to hold it against you. We all did things in the game we regret,” Yuri’s words pulled Monika out of her stupor. The purple-haired girl, noticing the confused stare her green-eyed compatriot was giving her, decided to expand upon her initial thought. “I… said a lot of terrible things to Natsuki, which I never apologized for. And seeing how she’s treated you, well, I’m terrified to find out what Natsuki thinks of me.”

“B-but none of that was your fault! I was the one manipulating your character file–” Monika tried to explain, but Yuri was already a step ahead of her.

“Even before then. I insulted her writing style and sensibilities. Sure, if I were an immature child I could argue that she started it, but that’s no excuse,” Yuri recounted, referring to the (by comparison) milder events of Act 1. “God, I was so antagonistic to her at times…”

“W-well, that’s really not your fault either! After all, you were unknowingly following the game’s script…” Monika tried to comfort her friend with reason, but a sad and knowing smile on Yuri’s face told the former club president that the gothic girl had been expecting this.

“So, by that logic then, you must feel no guilt over your mistakes, given that those were also part of the game designer’s grand story?” Monika was absolutely speechless. She wasn’t expecting Yuri to point out something so intrinsically true, while effectively showing how that understanding did nothing to assuage the actual guilt. “…I envy you, Monika. You look at me like I’m brave for being unafraid in the presence of monsters, yet you’re the one strong enough to own up to your mistakes and apologize. I wish I had your courage…”

Monika and Yuri stood in silence, each unsure how to move the conversation forward at this point. After several moments of uncomfortable tension, Monika suddenly remembered an important detail that she was certain would lift her friend’s spirits.

“You know, during Act 2, Natsuki wrote a really interesting poem. Well, it wasn’t really a poem. Natsuki had noticed that you were acting… off, to say the least, and crafted a message begging Edward to help you,” Monika knew by the look of surprise on Yuri’s face that this new information would help the gothic girl see her situation in a new light. “See? Even if Natsuki hasn’t necessarily forgiven you for what you said, that doesn’t mean she doesn’t care about you too.”

“…Heh, the cynic within me would say that was just part of the game as well,” Yuri said with sullen eyes, though a hopeful smile and a faint blush were clearly present upon her face.

“Well, the realist within me would say that doesn’t matter because the optimist within me believes we can be more than what we were made to be,” as she finished her inspirational speech, Monika found herself enveloped in a warm embrace.

“It’s funny, I’ve gotten so used to consoling others since we came here, it feels strange to be on the receiving end,” Monika knew this was Yuri’s odd way of saying thank you, and gladly returned her gesture.

As the two girls held each other, Natsuki suddenly exited her abode. The pink-haired girl was as surprised by what she found as the other two were to be interrupted, and an awkward instance of stunned silence passed between them.

“…God damn it, did I just walk in on the ending of another emotional moment? Why does that keep happening?” The annoyed Natsuki asked, causing the two taller girls to giggle. After their brief instance of jollity, Yuri and Monika exchanged confident nods before approaching their pink-haired friend.

“Natsuki, I just wanted to say that I’m sorry for how I’ve often spoken to you,” Yuri’s sudden apology caused a confused look to appear upon Natsuki’s visage, as this was clearly something she wasn’t expecting so early in the morning. “I know I can be somewhat condescending, and some of the things I’ve said to you seriously crossed the line. For that, I sincerely apologize.”

“I don’t think I need to explain what I did wrong, but please know that I’m sorry too for all the pain I caused you,” Monika offered as well, giving Natsuki some understanding of what the two girls’ conversation must’ve been about. “I know I have a long way to go to earn your forgiveness, and I’m eternally grateful for the clemency you’ve shown me thus far.”

Natsuki looked back and forth between her two friends, before offering an exasperated sigh.

“…Alright, I guess we’re doing this. Yuri, I owe you an apology too. I realize now how hard it is for you to talk to other people, and my… bluntness must’ve really hurt your self-confidence. Monika, you honestly kind of scare me and I’m worried you’ll hurt us again. That said, know that if you do I’ll see it coming this time and knock you on your ass!” Natsuki joked, her toothy grin a comforting sight for the other two girls. “Okay, now can we say we’re all good? Otherwise, this’ll never end.”

“Heh, you know, it’s amazing I was ever president of the Literature Club,” Monika suddenly stated, the change of topic throwing the other two girls for a loop. “Sayori has been a much better fit, and right now I see two young women who’d make excellent VPs!”

“Well, that’s certainly something to think about for the future,” Yuri added. A sly smile appeared on her face, which didn’t go unnoticed by the others. “Speaking of Sayori, she’s really impressed me with how mature she’s become–”

Before Yuri could finish her thought, Sayori, her hair and school uniform as much of a mess as usual, suddenly burst into the corridor.

“My Sayori-Sense is tingling,” Sayori cryptically said while dramatically sniffing the air. “There’s food somewhere around here!”

On that note, Sayori took off running down the hallway.

“…Huh, very mature that club president of ours,” Natsuki sardonically stated. “…Did she really just say ‘my Sayori-Sense’?”

Natsuki had directed that question towards the other two girls, but Monika was already chasing after the wayward president. Soon enough, Natsuki and Yuri both decided to join the pursuit. Sprinting past the elevator, Sayori came to a halt outside the door to a room none of them had entered before.

For a moment Natsuki felt a sense of dread. They’d all been safely bonding in their own little bubble just a moment before, yet each time they rejoined Darwin’s sphere of influence something terrible happened. Natsuki’s worries subsided though once Sayori threw open the doors, revealing a moderately sized dining room.

The table in the middle of the space was absolutely covered in food. Omelets, waffles, pancakes, and all sorts of other breakfast goodies created a seductive aroma that lingered in the air.

Just off to the right was an adjoining kitchen, likely the source of these delectable looking treats, where Darwin was currently passed out on the floor. The four girls rushed over to check on him, their sudden presence causing him to (partially) awaken.

“Oh, hey guys! Happy birth-mas!” Darwin groggily slurred, his tired eyes indicating the only sleep he actually got last night was on the floor (and, given the freshness of the food, only for a few minutes at best). As Monika and Yuri helped the immortal to his feet, Darwin, recognizing his impaired state, simply muttered a single word. “Coffee.”

Recognizing a coffee pot on the table, Sayori quickly grabbed the pitcher and pour it into one of the nearby cups. Handing the precious fluid to Darwin, the immortal immediately downed the whole glass.

“Ooph, much better. Thank you,” Darwin stated, starting to come to his senes. “Anyways, morning everyone! Please help yourselves to some breakfast!”

“This… this is the stuff you had to ‘put back in order’?” Monika asked, making Darwin sheepishly aware of how cryptic he’d been last night.

“Ah… no, I only did this in the last half hour. I spent most of last night preparing those supply baskets. You would not believe how long it takes to print an electric razor; I had to make so many trips to the second floor just for more Baseline Material,” Darwin confessed while scratching the right side of his face. “Besides… I wanted it to be a surprise.”

“And what a surprise it was! Can we eat now?” The impatient Sayori asked, her ravenous stomach demanding sacrifice.

“Heh, I suppose so. Dig in everyone!” Darwin announced as the four girls each took a seat. The quintet began passing plates around, filling their own to the brim with heaping helpings of everything. Darwin had even made veggie omelets for Monika to enjoy, his consideration causing her to blush.

With everyone having been served, Monika, Sayori, and Yuri swiftly dug into their meals. The food was beyond anything they could’ve expected, with each bite being more delicious than the last. Granted, they had no other sensations to compare them to, but they could tell it was high quality all the same.

Natsuki, however, was missing out on this shared experience, for she hadn’t even touched her meal.

“…Everything okay? I can make you something else, if you’d like,” Darwin offered, to which Natsuki simply shook her head in response.

“It’s… it’s nothing. Just… been a while since someone else cooked for me, is all,” Natsuki trepidly picked up a forkful of food, as if she was expecting someone to shout at her for doing so. As the pink-haired girl took her first bite, tears started to build around her eyelids. Still, the sorrow in her eyes didn’t diminish the sincerity of her smile. “It’s… amazing. Thank you.”

As the four of them responded with kind smiles of their own, the quintet then returned to their overflowing plates. Yuri, however, still kept a close eye on her brash friend, making sure that Natsuki wasn’t having any more hesitation about eating all she wanted.

“Thith ish reawy goof!” Sayori tried to say with a mouthful of pancake, causing everyone to chuckle at her adorable actions. Slightly embarrassed by what she’d just done, the club president quickly forced the food down her gullet. “Ah, sorry! I meant this is really good! I had no idea you were such a talented chef.”

“Y-yeah, I’m, uh… not,” Darwin admitted while absent-mindedly scratching the side of his face with his fork. Because Darwin had already finished his breakfast, and since they realized this behavior was (unfortunately) par for the course with him, none of the girls chose to point this out. “So I have this thing in my office that can make pretty much anything from raw materials. The appliances in the kitchen kind of work the same way; breaking down the ingredients and reconfiguring them into the programmed dish.”

“Well, that… really sucks the magic out of it,” the amateur baker Natsuki bluntly professed, before begrudgingly deciding to finish her last bite anyways.

“Yeah sorry, just trying to be transparent. I know I… haven’t thus far,” Darwin understated, to which everyone else simultaneously nodded agreement. “Speaking of, I’m guessing you guys have a pretty big question you’ve been meaning to ask.”

“Indeed,” Monika began, placing her fork and knife calmly on her barren plate. “The monsters you’d kept under the bunker; I guess we can piece together why you were containing them. What I want to know is why you didn’t tell us about them?”

“I… forgot to,” Darwin admitted as he covered part of his face with his right hand. The other girls were shocked by how pathetic that excuse was, yet something about his pained expression told them it was sincere. “I’m sure– or at least I’m assuming that I meant to tell you. I just… must’ve started thinking about something else. The truth is, I didn’t always use to be… like this.”

“What, immortal?” Sayori offered, trying to finish Darwin’s thought.

“Cryptic?” Yuri posited, not intending to be mean but still trying to point out a behavior that Darwin was displaying even at this moment.

“Weird?” Natsuki added, drawing an annoyed look from Monika.

“…Smart,” Darwin confessed, appearing far more sullen than he was a moment ago. “I used to be pretty average, intelligence-wise. Then somebody I trusted did… something to me, the details of which are kind of fuzzy, and now I’m one of the smartest people alive. For some reason though, it’s really hard for me to think about the same thing for too long without…”

Darwin went quiet, his hand falling from his face as his eyes dulled over.

“…Sorry, what were we talking about?” Darwin asked. His confusion elicited sympathetic looks from the four girls.

“Well… nothing important,” Monika lied, attempting to put him at ease. Darwin clearly sensed that wasn’t the case, but decided it wasn’t worth worrying about.

As the five sat in silence, Monika began to evaluate her conflicting feelings. On one hand, the emerald-eyed girl now had a better understanding of how much she could trust Darwin. He kept secrets, but it seemed a good number of them clearly weren’t deliberate.

On the other hand, there was one question that Darwin still hadn’t answered. Monika remembered the look on his face, right before the breakout, when she asked him about the true purpose of the DMM. If that device hadn’t been created solely for bringing them into the real world, what was it actually for? And why, after willing revealing everything else, was this what he was most afraid to talk about?

Still, Monika held her tongue; fairly certain this wasn’t the time to pry. Darwin looked about ready to collapse, either due to the strain this conversation was putting upon his mind or simply because the caffeine was wearing off. Monika wasn’t going to let this go but, for now, it could wait.

“…I wish I could’ve shown you guys the best parts of my reality, so it wouldn’t seem like such a horror show,” Darwin suddenly stated, breaking the tense quiet. “You four were thrown into this world, and barely had a chance to discover who you are before everything went to shit. I’m… sorry for that.”

“Hey, don’t blame yourself, there were a lot of circumstances you couldn’t have accounted for,” Sayori said, referring to the nature of their accidental creation. “Besides, it’s not like we can’t experience all the good stuff now! We could… um, see a concert… or maybe go to an amusement park?”

Along with the rest of the Literature Club, even Sayori didn’t seem to have her heart set on doing anything so strenuous. Everyone was still exhausted and needed something actually relaxing first to fully recover.

After considering for a moment, Darwin suddenly pulled out his cell phone. Monika could tell that he was checking his calendar, but couldn’t see anything beyond that. A smile spread across Darwin’s face as he pocketed the device, stood up from his chair, and recited something familiar to a certain pink-haired member of the group.

“Your mind is so full of troubles and fears, that diminished your wonder over the years. But today I have a special place; a beach for us to go.”


	5. I'll Be Your Beach

“…Y’know, it’s hard to keep in mind the scope of how old you are until you show us something like this,” Natsuki casually commented as the quintet approached the old van. “Like, was this what people drove before we figured out the internal combustion engine?”

Once the four members of the Literature Club had heard that Darwin had his own “vehicle bay” on the second floor, they were expecting rows of pristine cars from all different eras of time. Upon entering the massive garage, they were dismayed to find only a single beat-up Volkswagen Bus parked in the center of the room. Natsuki guessed that the van was at least forty or fifty years old; given that the pastel-green paint job had clearly faded due to the ravages of time.

“Har har. I’ll have you know that this baby was all the rage when it was first released,” Darwin defensively stated as he loaded the beach supplies into the trunk.

When it was revealed that Darwin had already scheduled a beach trip, the five friends scrambled to prepare before their window of opportunity closed.

Natsuki and Yuri ventured to the second-floor storage room, locating the bag containing towels, sunscreen, a plastic bucket/shovel, and two collapsible chairs. All the basic necessities needed to enjoy the beach.

Monika and Sayori went to work printing swimsuits and other accessories with the RMM, each design based on the four girls’ individual preferences. Sayori didn’t happen to ask why Monika knew how to use this complex device, which was fortunate given the emerald-eyed girl wouldn’t have actually had an answer.

Finally, Darwin returned to the kitchen, packing a lunch for the five of them into a small cooler. The group then went to their respective rooms to change into their new swimwear, before meeting back up in the vehicle bay; bringing us to where we are now.

“Oh, I’m sure. I bet it was a huge hit at Woodstock,” Natsuki sardonically replied. Darwin shot her a playfully annoyed look, while Natsuki’s smile indicated she was all too pleased with her comeback.

As the quintet entered the vehicle, Natsuki was surprised to find that the interior was much nicer than the exterior. Far from the shag carpeting and disco balls she’d been expecting, the van’s insides simply featured a set of practical seats, made out of some high-quality material Natsuki lacked the expertise needed to identify.

“What? Not what you were expecting?” Darwin asked the surprised Natsuki as he buckled his seatbelt, a shit-eating grin now adorning the immortal’s face. “Aren’t you the greatest proponent of not judging a book by its cover? Just because my car’s unkempt on the outside doesn’t mean I haven’t taken care of the parts that are actually important.”

“…So do you really not repaint your car so you can make stupid jokes about it, or is that just the excuse you’re using now so you don’t look dumb?” Natsuki bluntly questioned as she secured her own safety strap.

“…Welp, I think it’s time to hit the road!” Darwin unexpectedly blurted out as he cranked the ignition. The van sputtered to life before suddenly shooting forward, barely giving the other three passengers time to buckle up.

The vehicle drove up a slight ramp, seemingly heading towards a dead end. Upon coming to a halt midway through, Darwin parked the car and a mounted terminal extended towards him. The device featured two separate camera feeds, each showing a different view of the highway above them.

“Alright, the coast is clear!” Darwin exclaimed, referring to the absence of any other cars in the video. Darwin pressed a button on the terminal, causing it to retreat into the wall and for the ceiling at the end of the ramp to rise up, revealing a partially cloudy-sky.

Putting the vehicle back into drive, the girls soon discovered that the ramp ended just off the highway. After a half-second of off-roading, the van sped off down the road as the vehicle bay exit closed behind it.

The quintet quickly slipped into a comfortable driving routine, as if they’d been on road trips multiple times before. Monika and Yuri took turns pointing out to the other two passengers in their row the interesting bits of scenery they passed by, while discussing all the fun things they wanted to do at the beach. Natsuki and Darwin facetiously bickered back and forth in the front seats; unable to compromise on which radio station they wanted to listen to.

Despite all the noise, it was a perfect mid-afternoon ride; if only for the normalcy it provided after all the horror this group had experienced. However, Natsuki’s moment of tranquility came to a sudden halt when she remembered who was driving the car.

“Um… hey, Darwin? Don’t take this the wrong way or anything, but are you okay to drive?” Natsuki asked, her face donning a look of mild concern. Her sudden comment brought the other three passengers out of their idle chitchat, curious as to what Natsuki could be referring to.

“What do you mean? It's not like I’ve been drinking or anything,” Darwin expressed, his mind racing through all the possible explanations for her question. “…I mean, I know I didn’t get any sleep last night, but I should be okay until we get there.”

“N-no, I just meant, with your whole… focusing problem, are you going to be able to drive without getting distracted?” Natsuki explained, the worried looks adorning her friends’ faces indicating they were now wondering the same thing.

“Oh… well, it’s not like any of you guys have a license, so I kind of have to drive,” Darwin unhelpfully offered, putting absolutely no ones’ worries at ease. “Besides, this is something I can pretty much do without thinking about– Wait, hang on, my shoes are untied.”

Darwin took his hands off the steering wheel and reached towards his feet, causing everyone else in the car to instantly cry out in panic. Natsuki desperately tried to grab the wheel, but her arms were just short enough and the seatbelt was just tight enough that she couldn’t quite reach. However, before anyone had a chance to freak out any further, the quartet collectively realized the vehicle wasn’t drifting.

“Ha, gotcha! I’m wearing sandals!” Darwin confidently proclaimed, resulting in confused stares from the four girls. “The van is automated; I can put in a predetermined destination from my phone and it’ll literally drive itself! I could take control fairly easily if need be (plus I like to keep my hands on the wheel in case any cops suddenly drive by), but on peaceful days like this I’m mostly just filling the seat.”

“Wow, that’s legitimately fascinating. Also, thanks for almost giving me a heart attack, you prick!” Natsuki exclaimed as she punched Darwin’s arm, even while recognizing that she was never in any actual danger.

“Jokes and/or frights aside, it’s actually quite impressive that a vehicle as old as this one could contain such hidden complexities!” Yuri added, marveling at the technological accomplishment within their transport.

“Well, I’m certainly more about substance over style; if you couldn’t tell by my car, dress, and overall design sensibilities,” Darwin joked, though his self-depreciating humor was met with varying levels of success. “…Besides, it’s not like I need to wheel out something fancy for my annual trip.”

"Speaking of, why did you already have a plan to head to the beach today?” Monika inquired, more for the sake of making conversation than prying, though the paranoid Natsuki appreciated someone asking the question that had been plaguing her.

“Oh, a friend of mine lives around there and I always visit them on their birthday,” Darwin stated, the innocence of the explanation surprising almost everyone in the vehicle.

“Aw, that’s really sweet!” Sayori proclaimed, seemingly the only one not taken back by his story. Darwin, however, didn’t acknowledge the compliment, as he was too busy staring into his rearview mirror.

“…Speaking of friends, it looks like a few are tailing us right now,” Darwin casually pointed out, causing the other four passengers to look back in surprise. Sure enough, a single black Sedan was following behind them at a distance great enough to appear inconspicuous. Though the fact that it was the only other car on the road, and that it appeared out of nowhere, caused it to clearly stand out. “Looks like APART wasn’t actually content to leave us alone…”

“W-what should we do?” The worried Sayori asked, her concerns reflecting within each of the other passengers.

“Don’t worry, I think I can lose them. Check this shit out!” Darwin exclaimed as he activated his signal light before turning right at a reasonable speed.

As the van slowly drove down the winding dirt road, Natsuki was certain that Darwin must’ve forgotten the potential danger they were all in. Surely there was no way they were going to evade the other vehicle while going so slowly.

Yet, to everyone’s surprise, the car continued forward as if nothing had changed. For a moment Natsuki though that maybe Darwin was mistaken, and that this vehicle wasn’t actually tailing them.

However, the car soon came to a sudden screeching halt. The vehicle quickly backed up before stopping again, as two men in black suits exited. The pair began to yell back and forth, each clearly distressed by something. Though Natsuki could only guess what they were arguing about but, if these guys really were with APART, it likely had to do with losing their targets.

Yet this begged the obvious question, how the hell could they not see them?

Eventually, the van had driven far enough away from the two men that Natuski could no longer see them, and Darwin’s smarmy grin told her that this had all been according to plan.

“Alright, I can tell by that look on your face that you’re quite pleased with yourself,” Natsuki mumbled, grateful to at least be out of immediate danger. “But care to tell us exactly what you just did?”

“…I didn’t do anything,” Darwin sheepishly confessed, his confidence dissipating now that he had to admit he had nothing to actually do with the great escape. “It’ll be easier to explain once we get to the beach.”

Under ordinary circumstances, any of the four girls would’ve demanded an explanation right away. However, given all the weird shit they’d already seen, the previous events were just banal enough for the quartet to temporarily forget them.

As they continued to drive downward, a picturesque landscape of white sand and beautiful blue water soon came into view. The four girls marveled at the sight before them, while Darwin simply smiled at seeing his friends so genuinely excited for the first time.

Once they arrived at the base of the slope, coming to a stop near a rocky alcove, Darwin barely had a chance to put the van in park before the four girls rushed out onto the hot sand. The quartet took in the gorgeous sunshine, its warmth radiating down like a kiss from the heavens, while Darwin unloaded the back of the vehicle.

“Yeah, no, it’s fine,” Darwin mumbled while barely holding the large beach bag in one hand and the heavy cooler in the other, his whole body shaking with the effort. “I totally don’t need any help…”

“Oh, sorry! We were just… surprised by how nice out it is,” Monika quickly replied as she and the other three girls ran over to help. Monika and Yuri worked together to carry the cooler, while Sayori and Natsuki shared some of the burden from the beach bag.

“Geez, this isn’t even that heavy. You can’t lift this yourself?” Natsuki asked, more for the sake of ribbing him than anything else.

“Unfortunately… my post-human body only came with… immortality and super-intelligence,” Darwin explained, his heavy breathing undercutting any humor that could’ve been found in the joke he was attempting. “Super-strength wasn’t part of the deal… nor was regular strength… for that matter.”

Setting their supplies down in a suitable spot, the four girls quickly removed their cover clothes, revealing their individual swimsuits underneath.

Yuri was wearing a simple black one piece, along with a matching shawl over her arms and a tan sunhat atop her head. Monika essentially wore the total opposite, sporting a red bikini with a white ruffle skirt.

Natuski wore the same type of swimsuit as the former club president, though hers was a mix of pink and pastel green polka dots against a white background and featured a more traditional bottom half. Lastly, like Yuri, Sayori’s bathing suit was a one piece. However, hers possessed a deep blue background that was covered with an array of flowers, each one a different brilliant color.

Darwin’s choice of clothing was far less creative, comprising of grey swim trunks and a navy rash guard. The dully-dressed immortal reached into the bag, pulling out three bottles of sunscreen.

“Alright, everyone pair up,” Darwin said before tossing one container to Sayori and the other to Monika. “Just because the sun isn’t fully out today doesn’t mean we shouldn’t play it safe, so be sure to help each other cover any exposed skin.”

“Ugh, this is always my least favorite part,” Sayori pouted, failing to recognize that this was technically her first time ever having to actually apply sunscreen.

“Darwin, won’t you need someone to cover your back?” Monika asked, an eager gleam appearing in her eyes, which was easily noticed by the other members of the Literature Club.

“Nah, I’m good. Not planning on taking my shirt off anyways,” Darwin explained while rubbing the protective substance onto his neck, Monika’s intentions sailing over his oblivious head.

“Ah… fair enough,” Monika responded, silently cursing under her breath as she went to work applying sunscreen to Yuri’s back.

“Heh, Darwin seems almost as dense as Edward was, which is kind of appropriate when you think about it,” Yuri whispered to her friend, eliciting a small chuckle out of the disappointed girl.

Having applied adequate protection from the sun, the quintet went to work setting up their spot. Monika and Yuri unfolded the two collapsible beach chairs, while Natsuki and Sayori laid down three towels. Unfortunately, the wind was somewhat strong today, so the additional seating arrangements had to be held in place with nearby rocks.

Darwin then set down the cooler next to their impromptu basecamp. The immortal removed the container’s lid and, instead of pulling out drinks or food, took out a small metal case.

“Alright, you guys wanted to know why we’re here and what happened to those APART agents back there?” Darwin asked, reminding the quartet that they hadn’t come to the beach just to unwind. “Well, follow me and all will be revealed!”

Darwin’s deliberately overdramatic delivery helped keep the girls at ease, though they were all somewhat frustrated by their host’s usual crypticness. Fortunately, as the quintet approached the nearby alcove, Darwin apparently recognized and shared that same complaint.

“Wait… be clear, be honest, be transparent,” Darwin mumbled to himself, the mantra-like quality of his words made it seem like this wasn’t his first time uttering this phrase. “Okay, just to give you guys a heads up, there’s… something in this cave that might be kinda shocking. Just, try not to freak–”

“If this is your idea of a transparent explanation, it needs some serious work,” Natsuki interrupted, catching Darwin off-guard. “I mean, there’s ‘something’ in there? You could try being a little more specific–”

“A monster lives here,” Darwin interjected in kind, his nonchalant delivery of this fact unnerving everyone probably more than he’d anticipated. “B-but she’s a friend of mine, so it’s cool.”

With that, Darwin entered the alcove. After a moment of consideration, the four girls hesitantly followed behind him.

The pseudo-cave was far more gorgeous than any of the girls had expected. The sun shone at just the right angle, causing the small pools of seawater to brilliantly shimmer. The walls were coated in small patches of bright green moss, adding to the natural beauty.

Darwin came to a halt in the center of the alcove, and began to undo the lock around the small box he’d been carrying.

“Um… so where’s your friend?” Sayori nervously asked, her worried face soon changing to an excited one as a new thought crossed her mind. “Ooh, wait, is she invisible?!”

“ _Only when I want to be,_ ” a feminine voice suddenly replied, starling the four girls. Along with the vocalization having no apparent source, the fact that it wasn’t actually audible it only added to their collective unease. It was as if the words had simply appeared in their minds, and “hearing” them as sounds were the only way they could process them.

Darwin, in response to the girls’ confusion, simply pointed his index finger straight up. The quartet slowly peered upwards, each reacting with varying levels of horror by what they saw.

Affixed to the alcove’s ceiling was a massive white blob. It was as if a giant had sneezed, and the resulting phlegm grew a large red eyeball. Vestigial tentacles slowly flailed about, occasionally producing a disgusting “squelch” noise.

Upon recognizing that it had been noticed, the creature’s lower(?) eyelid curled upwards, seemingly indicating the closest thing it could give to a smile. The mysterious voice once again rang within the quartet’s minds, with a noticeable lilt of excitement.

“ _Hi! Name’s Omnipath, though I go by Omi. Pleased to meet you four!_ ”

Natsuki promptly threw up.

“ _Well… that’s a first,_ ” Omi stated, her other eyelid sinking in disappointment.

“Shit, sorry… just caught me by surprise,” Natsuki responded, giving an annoyed sigh as she wiped bile from her lower lip. “Damn it, there goes most of breakfast.”

“Geez Natsuki, I never pegged you for having such a weak stomach…” Sayori added half-jokingly and half-worrisomely, having recovered from the initial shock of witnessing the creature due to her friend’s nauseous episode.

“Yeah well, years of malnutrition can cause all kinds of effects on your system…” Natsuki responded, far more bitterly than she intended.

While this was all going on, Monika noticed that Darwin had finished opening the case he’d brought, revealing a large hypodermic needle containing a yellowish fluid. Before the emerald-eyed girl had a chance to ask what it was for, Darwin jogged over the side of the alcove.

Monika then noticed that ascending along the wall at regular intervals were metal bars, forming a makeshift ladder that Darwin began to scale. The four girls watched on as Darwin reached the top, placing him near the being on the ceiling.

“Hey Omi, how’ve you been?” Darwin casually asked as he undid the syringe cover with one hand.

“ _Not too bad. Saw a crab scuttle through here yesterday, so that was exciting,_ ” Omi recounted, her eyelid wincing as Darwin plunged the needle into her bleached flesh.

Darwin descended the ladder faster than he’d climbed it, before placing the now empty syringe back in its case and returning to the girls’ side.

“Welp, with that task taken care of, I think it’s time to unwind and enjoy the rest of our afternoon!” Darwin confidently exclaimed before his telepathic friend interrupted him.

“ _W-wait, aren’t you f-forgetting something?_ ” Omi’s formless body writhed in pain, apparently a side effect of whatever she’d been injected with.

Darwin paused for a split-second before he recognized what he’d missed. The immortal sprinted back to their spot on the beach, rummaged through their bag, and swiftly returned with a gold and purple metal headband.

Right before he was about to place it upon his head, Darwin looked upon his four companions. The immortal’s rapidly eyes darted back and forth between the girls and the loop of metal in his hands. After a few panicked moments, Darwin shrugged and dropped the headband at his feet.

“Eh, this will hurt me a lot more than it’ll hurt you guys anyways,” Darwin muttered, his face scrunched up in anticipation of some unknown threat.

“Um… pray tell, what do you mean by–” Yuri didn’t get the chance to finish her question before Omi suddenly howled in agony inside their minds. Each of the quintet’s bodies locked up in excruciating torment, as if needles were piercing their every pain receptor.

Their suffering was so great that it wasn’t long before their minds completely shut down, each one dropping to the floor as they slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

Fear and pain: those were the sensations most often running through Monika’s mind in this dream-like realm. How surreal that they were rarely her own.

As her weightless body floated through the myriad of colors and meaningless shapes, her consciousness would be hijacked by sensations that didn’t belong to her. A rope tightening around her neck, her flesh being split asunder by a sharp blade, the sting of betrayal of a loved one’s fists making contact with her body.

Yet at least Monika could tell whom these memories belonged to. The ones troubling her were those she didn’t recognize. An ancient factory still in use, a nightmarish dungeon lost within the bowels of the Earth, and the sensation of her whole body being torn apart. It was like she was being deleted again, except this feeling wasn’t of being unmade, but reborn.

Normally, Monika would’ve likely assumed the final experience came from Darwin’s mind alone. Yet, she could tell that there was some overlap. These memories didn’t belong to just one person, or even two people. There was a third presence; one Monika had only the faintest recognition of.

Then a great shadow fell over her mind, like the sun being blotted out by the moon. The emerald-eyed girl turned her head, just in time to witness a massive rainbow-stained smile.

And then she woke up.

* * *

Monika’s brain felt as if it had been split apart, her headache was comparable to waking up with a hangover. As she and the other three girls stirred from their impromptu slumber, while Darwin remained face down in the sand, the former club president tried to piece together what just happened.

She could remember brief instances of things she didn’t recognize, but the details were fading fast, like waking up from a dream. Monika peered up and saw Omi looking down at them with what she assumed was relief.

“ _Oh my_ gosh _I’m so, so sorry about that!_ ” Omi frantically spoke inside their minds, as Monika could somehow feel the throbbing sensation within her skull diminished. “ _I swear that wasn’t intentional!_ ”

“Hey, apology accepted,” Natsuki said, her calm demeanor surprising everyone. “Just as soon as you tell us what the fuck just happened?!”

“ _O-of course. That was a psychic feedback wave, which telepathically linked us all on a deeply subconscious level,_ ” Omi explained, though she could tell her terminology wasn’t exactly making things clearer. “ _…It happens whenever Darwin injects me with a nutrient supplement, which we theorize is a side-effect of my biochemistry reacting to the foreign chemicals. Unfortunate, given that I need them to survive._ ”

“Well, that at least explains why we needed to come to the beach today,” Monika said, rubbing the back of her head as she picked up the metal headband on the ground. “I’m guessing Darwin usually wears this to protect himself?”

“ _Indeed, it’s made of an alloy that blocks telepathic signals. Darwin simply forgot to make additional ones for the four of you,_ ” Omi recounted, a tone of bemusement accompanying her words. “ _He was so panicked that his thoughts were bouncing between a fear of being perceived as selfish for using it himself or for playing favorites if he gave it to one of you._ ”

“Heh, sounds about right,” Monika commented, a nerve-wracked sigh escaping her lips.

“ _Indeed, though he probably should’ve been the one to use it,_ ” before Monika could ask Omi what she meant by that, Sayori let out a surprised yelp upon turning Darwin’s body onto his back. “ _The older the brain, the more susceptible to damage it is._ ”

The immortal’s face was stained with blood, emanating from his eyes, nose, ears, and mouth. Sayori attempted to brush the sand-encrusted streaks off Darwin’s cheeks, the dried fluid indicating that a significant amount of time had passed since their collective nap.

Sayori’s touch eventually caused Darwin to awaken. After slowly rubbing his face with his right hand, the immortal noticed the red flakes left on his fingers.

Before anyone had a chance to ask if he was okay, Darwin moved towards one of the small pools and dunked his head in. Darwin swiftly retracted his crown, hissing air through his teeth as the salt water cleaned his wounds, before rapidly scrubbing the blood off his face.

“Fuck! Alright, well, that sucked,” Darwin muttered as he stood back up. “Okay, sorry everyone. I know crazy shit keeps happening to us, and a good deal of it is my fault, but that’s all in the past now. Probably. It’s finally time to relax!”

Darwin words seemed less intended to provide comfort and rather to will reality into obeying his demands. The four girls were hesitant to ignore everything that’d just happened, but the gaps in their memories regarding that dreamscape made it easier to forget. With a nod of their heads, the Literature Club came to a silent agreement to focus on getting some much-deserved R&R.

“It was nice meeting you, even if things got a little weird!” Sayori called to the creature affixed to the ceiling, reminding everyone of her presence.

“Yeah, um… sorry for puking on your floor…” Natsuki meekly offered, her embarrassment finally catching up with her.

“ _Oh, don’t worry about it! The tide will wash it away eventually. Plus, I don’t have a nose and any change to the scenery is actually kind of welcome,_ ” Omi cheerfully offered as everyone waved goodbye. As the quintet made a beeline towards their spot, Darwin heard the creature’s voice resonating in his mind. “ _So, you’re definitely done with the monster hunting business?_ ”

“ _Don’t start. I spent too many centuries dedicated to an unending effort. It’s in better hands_ now, _and said hands also don’t know about you. So there’s nothing to worry about,_ ” Darwin responded with his thoughts. “ _Besides, I have friends again. I don’t want to risk losing them._ ”

“ _You already had friends…_ ” Omi replied; causing Darwin to realize how insensitive his words were. “ _…It’s hard to believe Beacon’s gone._ ”

" _Exactly my point. These girls have the chance to live full, relatively normal lives. The kind monsters like us don’t get,_ ” Darwin’s thoughts were surprisingly focused, indicating his drive to do right by the Literature Club.

" _I certainly hope so,_ ” the immortal couldn’t help but notice that Omi’s words were drenched in doubt and concern. “ _You felt it too, right? When our minds melded, there was another presence._ ”

“ _Yeah, and I don’t have to be a genius to figure out who it was,_ ” though his exterior body remained calm and collected, the grave tone in Darwin’s mind demonstrated just how serious their circumstances were. “ _The question, however, is why? What does he want?_ ”

“ _I think you’re mistaken. The real question you should be asking is, even if you’re ready to quit… is he going to let you go?_ ” Darwin stopped walking, having moved far enough away from the alcove that he’d returned to the improvised vacation spot.

Darwin watched his four friends as they gleefully retrieved sandwiches and drinks from the cooler. Their ability to be so jovial reminded Darwin that, although they’d already been through so much, they’ve yet to see the worst this world has to offer. He wishes they never would, but Darwin knows how useless prayers can be against the forces he fears.

As he continued to contemplate their uncertain futures, Darwin heard one final warning within his mind, which was seemingly shared with the members of the Literature Club. The words, however, caused a small smile to spread across his face, reminding Darwin that life can’t be all doom and gloom.

“ _Oh, you all also need to be wary of jellyfishes. They don’t have brains so I can’t make them go away like I did those government stooges._ ” 

* * *

It’s amazing how a few simple, mundane actions can ease the burden of a horrific existence.

After finishing their lunch, the five friends each went about enjoying the locale in different ways. The two smaller girls grabbed the plastic bucket and shovel from within the beach bag, intending to construct a sandcastle. As Natsuki molded the damp earth into simple shapes, Sayori began collecting seashells for decorative purposes.

The remainder of the quartet instead chose the more relaxing option, lounging. Yuri, reclining in one of the beach chairs, was enjoying a book she’d brought from the bunker. However, the purple-haired girl had to occasionally prevent a strong breeze from flipping a page or stealing her sunhat, so she was a little more on edge than everyone else.

Monika, lying on one of the nearby towels, was attempting to soak up some rays. The number of clouds in the sky, however, made this a somewhat fruitless task. Still, what Monika was really hoping to catch was Darwin’s attention.

After her failed seduction attempt, the emerald-eyed girl was uncertain about Darwin’s feelings towards her. Though he rebuffed her advances, he didn’t outright deny any future for them either. If Monika caught Darwin checking her out, that would at least alleviate some of her doubts.

However, when Monika looked over at Darwin, the only thing she got was disappointment. The immortal, resting on the beach chair in-between the two taller girls, was totally unconscious. Apparently, Darwin’s body had finally had enough and was now forcing him to recover from the toll of missing a night’s sleep and having to rapidly heal multiple injuries.

Still, despite not getting what she desired (though she hated herself for obsessing over him in the first place), Monika was happy. Her friends, after enduring traumas both of her own making and from their new world’s more nightmarish elements, were finally enjoying themselves. Their wide smiles yet calm expressions showed just how carefree they were at this moment.

It’s like when you take a day off from all your responsibilities, and you know they exist just around the corner, but you still get to completely forget about them for a brief window of time. The four girls’ lives were far from perfect but, for this one moment, they could pretend that they were.

Monika, having decided that her time could be better spent, rose from her beach towel and strolled towards her shorter friends.

The duo had made an impressive sand castle in their brief construction period, despite only having one tool to actually shape it. In the center were several thick pillars, each studded with colorful shells to indicate their importance. A crudely constructed wall of sand encircled the makeshift castle, and wetness of the surrounding area indicated a failed attempt at adding a moat.

“Behold! I, Sayori, president of the Literature Club and Queen the Sandy Empire, declare my sovereignty over this entire beach!” The blue-eyed girl proudly exclaimed as Monika finished her approach.

“Oh? So how will you respond if, say, a certain rebellious former president stages a coup against your rule?” Monika humorously asked as Sayori responded with an overdramatic gasp.

“A peasant dares rise up against me?! Very well, I’m forced to dispatch the head of my royal guards to deal with this rabble. Natuski, protect your Queen!” Sayori demanded while pointing at her pink-haired compatriot.

Natsuki, however, didn’t respond. The brash girl was lost in her own thoughts, unaware that she’d been called upon.

After a moment’s hesitation, Sayori brought Natsuki back to reality with a nudge of her shoulder. The pink-haired girl nearly leapt at the surprise touch, though quickly calmed down once she realized it was just her club president.

“Um… everything okay?” Sayori asked, both worried about her friend and mildly disappointed that she wasn’t playing along.

“O-oh, yeah, I’m fine,” Natsuki unconvincingly claimed. Before either Sayori or Monika had a chance to pry further, the shorter girl rose off the sandy ground. “…I’ll be right back.”

The pink-haired girl began walking towards Omi’s alcove. Though they were a little concerned, Sayori and Monika decided to give her the space she seemed to need right now.

Natsuki apprehensively reentered the pseudo-cave, small droplets of sweat forming on her brow. The moment Natsuki’s foot touched the shaded sand, she immediately felt the gaze of the creature above her.

“ _Hey there! It’s Natsuki, right?_ ” Omi’s words appearing in her mind honestly troubled the petite girl yet, given what Natsuki was about to ask for, she couldn’t be justifiably upset by them.

“Yup, that’s me…” Natsuki muttered, stalling for time. Then, after softly exhaling, the pink-haired girl made it clear why she was here. “So, um… y’know how you can read minds? I was wondering if you’d be willing to do me a fav–”

“ _No,_ ” Omi bluntly stated, catching Natsuki off-guard. The pink-eyed girl was about to declare that the monster didn’t even know what she was going to request, but then she remembered that she was dealing with a telepath. “ _Look, I can’t help reading minds. I always know what everyone in the world is thinking about at all times. My mere existence is a massive invasion of privacy, so I’m not going to make it worse by telling you someone’s inner thoughts. I feel bad enough already…_ ”

“Ah... I see,” Natsuki grumbled, upset that there was no easy way out of her predicament, though still understanding of how Omi felt. “I… guess I wasn’t thinking about it like that… Sorry…”

“ _…But, I guess I can tell you this,_ ” after a moment’s hesitation, Omi’s words reappeared in Natsuki’s mind, calming her tumultuous thoughts. “ _I know you’re dealing with a lot of uncertain feelings right now, and with those comes an understandable amount of fear. You might think it better to live in the unknown than risk destroying something you consider precious._ ”

The argument Omi was laying out rang true within Natsuki’s heart, though she figured it was due to the telepath throwing the girl’s own thoughts back at her. Just as the petite girl was about to give up completely, a different thought led her away from this path.

“ _Yet take it from both an expert on matters of the mind and someone who lacks_ the _… capabilities to pursue romantic relationships, it’s better to risk rejection than endure isolation,_ ” Omi’s speech stirred Natsuki’s tired spirit, instilling her with hope like nothing in her life had before. “ _Maybe you’ll find they don’t feel the same way as you, but you’ll be torn up inside if you spend the rest of your life wondering ‘what if?’ Besides, if this person cares about you as much as you believe, yet they stop after you tell them the truth, then you didn’t really have a friend to lose._ ”

Though the monster’s final words didn’t erase all of the doubt in Natsuki's mind, the confidence now burning inside her made the petite girl believe she had the strength to take on a lion. The pink-haired girl knew she didn’t even need to say thanks, as the confident smile on her face and the gratitude inside her mind made her appreciation clear to Omi.

Natsuki exited the alcove, swiftly strolling towards back towards the group. Sayori and Monika spotted their friend as she vigorously moved towards the duo still lounging on the beach chairs.

The determined girl moved past the still sleeping Darwin, coming to a halt at Yuri’s chair. Briefly looking up from her book, the gothic girl just then noticed Natsuki standing beside her.

However, in that instant, Natsuki’s confidence faded once the gothic beauty met her gaze. As a massive blush spread across her cheeks, Natsuki tried to stammer out the word’s she’d been preparing to say.

“Y-Yuri, I n-need to tell you s-something,” Natsuki’s face was covered in sweat, gathering on her forehead like condensation from a cold drink.

“O-oh, of course, Natsuki. What can I do for you?” Despite her efforts to be helpful, somehow the politeness of Yuri’s question only set Natsuki further on edge.

“I– t-that is, you and me– we… Agh!” Natsuki clenched her teeth in frustration, her sudden outburst catching Yuri by surprise. “Goddamn it, why are you making this so hard?”

“I– I’m sorry?” Natsuki seemed surprised that Yuri even reacted to her last statement, as if it wasn’t really intended to be directed at anyone in particular. Further flustered, Natsuki vainly attempted damage control.

“N-no! That’s not what I– you…” Natsuki looked to be on the verge of either tears or a frustrated scream. The pink-haired girl frantically searched her mind for a way out of this mess.

When the words she needed wouldn’t materialize, Natsuki desperately reached within her mind for something else she could use. Suddenly struck by inspiration, the pink-haired girl desperately delivered a familiar excerpt.

“L-let’s leave your memories in a footprint trail, set you free in my windy sail, and remember the reasons you’re wonderful… w-when you p-press your lips to mine!”

Before Yuri had a chance to ask Natsuki why she’d recited a line from one of her old poems, the pink-haired girl suddenly kissed her still sitting friend. Their smooch was far from graceful; it was like watching a marble slab being awkwardly pressed against a beautiful statue.

As Natsuki drew back from the stunned Yuri, seeing the confusion on her friend's face, the brash one fought her body’s instinctive urge to burst into tears. She’d messed up, the pink-haired girl was certain of it. Not only had she made her feelings known to someone who clearly didn’t reciprocate them, she’d gone about it in the worst and most forceful way.

Monika and Sayori watched on helplessly, unsure if there was anything they could do to rescue their friend from this humiliating moment.

Yet, before Natsuki tried to play off what just happened as a poorly conceived prank, Yuri leaned forward in her chair and drew her shorter friend in for another kiss. This time their exchange was far softer, more intimate.

When Yuri pulled away, Natsuki saw an enamored look in the purple-haired girl’s eyes, despite the embarrassed blush spreading across her face.

“I-in the future, it’s p-probably best to give a girl more of a warning…” Yuri stammered as she began to run her fingers through her hair. Natsuki was stunned into silence, though grateful she’d taken the chance, even if there probably was a better way she could’ve conveyed her desires. “Though, I s-suppose that boldness of your is something I’ve always found attractive about you…”

Natsuki and Yuri were suddenly broken out of their romantic moment by a grunt from the awakened Darwin. Having apparently witnessed the exchange, the groggy immortal simply muttered:

“…And there was much rejoicing across the Internet…”

* * *

The stark orange of the setting sun upon the blue sea was the first indicator that the day was coming to a close.

Despite the strange happenings that occurred earlier, this ultimately turned out to be the perfect beach trip. In fact, for some, it’d been more than perfect.

Natsuki and Yuri’s suddenly budding relationship had become the talk of the Literature Club. Sayori and Monika couldn’t stop bombarding the couple with an abundance of (somewhat invasive) questions.

“Okay, last one, I promise,” Sayori swore, though Yuri and Natsuki doubted this would be the case without some outside intervention. “When did you guys first realize you liked each other?”

“W-well, the truth is, I kinda fell for you right away,” Natsuki reluctantly revealed to Yuri, causing a massive blush to appear on the gothic girl’s face. “When I first saw you recite a poem in the Literature Club, I was so impressed by how graceful and intelligent you were. But I was a too afraid of being… I don’t know, vulnerable, to ever ask you out.”

“Humorously, I would say I had the opposite experience,” Yuri admitted, causing Natsuki to quizzically raise an eyebrow. “To be honest, I always used to think that you were just a mean-spirited ruffian, based on how you acted during the club meetings. However, since we’ve come to this world, I’ve seen how kindhearted and protective you really are.”

“Heh, glad I waited to make my move then,” Natsuki responded with her signature toothy grin.

Darwin was the only one who hadn’t been interrogating the couple, as he’d gone back to sleep immediately after his initial comment. However, once the sun had finally begun to sink, Darwin stirred from his slumber almost instinctively.

“Hmm… Alright, I think it’s about time to head on back,” Darwin’s declaration was met with some disappointment, though the growing desire for dinner forced almost everyone to agree with his sentiments. There was one, however, who wasn’t quite ready to leave.

“Um… actually, if it’s alright with everyone, I’d like to take a short walk along the beach,” Yuri’s suddenly requested. “Although I’ve certainly had a wonderful time today, it’s all been a touch overwhelming. I could desperately use a moment to clear my head.”

Natsuki felt slightly guilty, concerned that she’d caused her new girlfriend undo stress by confessing her adoration in public. However, there was a certain gleam in Yuri’s eyes that told Natsuki something was up.

“Hey, do what you gotta do. We’ll go ahead and start cleaning up,” Darwin kindly offered, the other three girls nodding in agreement.

“Actually, given the abundance of vengeful monsters roaming the Earth right now, I’d appreciate an escort. Darwin, would you be willing to accompany me?” As Yuri’s eyes fell upon her girlfriend, a smirk emanating from one side of her face, Natsuki immediately understood what her boo was up to.

This wasn’t just a chance to decompress; Yuri was also capitalizing on a chance to investigate. Although Natsuki wasn’t sure what Yuri was trying to determine about Darwin, she trusted her girlfriend enough to know that she had their best interests at heart.

“That’s… sound logic, to be honest. Okay, I’m down,” Darwin nodded to Yuri before turning his attention to the other three members of the Literature Club. “Will you guys be okay while we’re gone?

“For sure! We’ll go ahead and start cleaning everything up,” Monika kindly offered, while secretly fighting the sting of jealousy that Yuri was spending time alone with the object of her affections, even though the logical part of her mind understood the gothic beauty was dating Natsuki now.

“Well, you can load up the van if you want to. Me? Imma go destroy Sayori’s castle,” Natsuki said, as she quickly dashed towards the sandy creation with her coral-haired friend chasing after her.

“No, not Sandopolis! Natsuki, how could you betray your Queen?!” Her two friends’ actions caused Monika to chuckle, even though the emerald-eyed girl was aware she’s probably going to end up putting everything away by herself.

Yuri and Darwin soon began their excursion. After walking in peaceful silence for about a minute, as the calming sound of the tide accompanied their footsteps, Yuri finally decided to spring her first question.

“I must say; it’s strange to see that scar on the back of your neck, given what we’ve witnessed you recover from…” Yuri left her inquiry unfinished, given what she was implying was fairly obvious. Although this was the smaller of her two queries, Yuri wanted to ensure that she could get an honest answer out of her host.

“Ah, well, I wasn’t born immortal. This mark was from before then, so it wasn’t able to heal fully,” Darwin recounted, seemingly put off by the sudden personal question (despite not hesitating to answer it).

As he self-consciously rubbed the back of his neck, Darwin’s eyes glanced over to Yuri’s arms, noticing some of her self-harm scars poking out from under her shawl. Yuri noticed Darwin’s gaze, and bashfully covered her reminders of a darker time. Darwin looked as if he wanted to apologize, but Yuri cut him off before he could get any words out.

“Darwin, there’s something I need to ask you,” Yuri came to a sudden halt, as Darwin noticed they’d walked far enough away that he could no longer see their beach spot. “These feelings that Natsuki and I have for each other, are those… real?”

“…Well, I think yours definitely are, given that they happened outside the game,” Darwin explained, clearly working out the logic of situation as he went along. “As for Natsuki’s… well, I didn’t program her with those memories of falling for you. The simulation itself must’ve added them, for whatever reason. So… I think they’re as real as they can be, given the circumstances.”

Yuri gave a small smile upon hearing these words, though they didn’t fully erase her worries. The gothic girl remembered what Monika told her this morning: “We can be more than we were made to be.” Even if Natsuki’s feelings weren’t one hundred percent her own, everything that happens next is up to the two of them.

In a way, this was more terrifying than the uncertainty of one’s agency, yet it was undoubtedly exciting as well.

Suddenly, as Yuri was contemplating her future, a strong gust of wind finally stole her sunhat away from her. Yuri watched helplessly as her headpiece was blown out to sea, just far enough that no one could retrieve it without getting sufficiently soaked.

Darwin was about to dive right in to rescue it before the tide carried it away, yet something stopped him. Some deep-seated fear halted him in his tracks, yet his fractured mind made it impossible to pinpoint the source. All he could tell was that his body desperately didn’t want to step into the water, despite the awareness that Omi would be warding off any unfriendly creatures within the area.

Although terrified, Darwin also didn’t want Yuri to put herself at risk (or to inconvenience/worry her if he was freaking out for no reason) while he tried to deduce the reason for his dread. Just as the gothic girl was about to step towards the water, Darwin swiftly waded in.

“D-don’t worry about it, I’ve got this one,” Darwin promised, though the brave face he was putting on was obviously a façade. Yuri definitely noticed this, though her usual shy nature prevented her from prying.

Darwin eventually got close enough to the renegade sunhat to pick it back up, as the water reached up to his abdomen. The immortal turned back towards Yuri, showing the successfully retrieved article of clothing. As Darwin’s panicked heartbeat finally slowed, he became convinced that he’d worked himself up over nothing.

Then Darwin felt it; an unnatural movement through the water, sending abnormally large ripples cascading outwards. Yuri noticed it too, though she was more distracted by the look on the immortal’s face.

The fear reigniting with Darwin’s mind carried with it a spark of recognition, causing his visage to go white with absolute terror. In a moment of desperate self-preservation, Darwin tried to call out to his friend on the shore.

“Aby–”

Before Darwin could finish his desperate cry, a pair of hands shot out of the sea. Each one was covered in beautiful orange scales, and their sharp claws quickly dug into the flesh on Darwin’s neck and jaw.

In an instant, the immortal was pulled into the ocean. There was no splash or any other sign of a struggle, no bubbles, nothing. From Yuri’s horrified perspective, Darwin was there one moment and then gone the next.

With no one to save it, Yuri’s sunhat floated back down onto the water and was taken away by the uncaring tide.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delayed addition. I've spent most of the past two weeks applying for a Master's program (I also found out today that I got accepted!), and haven't had as much time to work on this series. 
> 
> I've been taking about an hour each day to make sure I get some writing done but, given that I'm averaging around fourteen pages per chapter, an update every two weeks might be what we're looking at for the foreseeable future.
> 
> Anyways, that's all the news on my end. Thanks for taking the time to read this installment!


	6. Somewhere, Beyond The Sea

Monika’s never truly had an opportunity to count her blessings, so she greatly appreciated her chance to do so now.

The former club president had correctly predicted that she’d be the only one of their group to actually put away any of the beach supplies, now that they were preparing to leave for the evening. To her own surprise, Monika didn’t mind in the least.

While the former club president toiled away, Natsuki and Sayori were taking one last moment to enjoy their locale. The two girls had called a truce and were now tearing their sandcastle apart together, like rampaging monsters straight out of a typical Kaijū flick.

After all the pain she’d caused them, cleaning up on their behalf was the least Monika felt she could do. As she watched her friends have one last moment of fun before the day’s end, she knew her efforts had definitely been worth it.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.

“ _Something’s wrong,_ ” Omi, their new telepathic companion, suddenly stated within Monika’s mind. Her two friends’ romp coming to an abrupt end told the emerald-eyed girl that the same warning was being shared with them. “ _I can’t sense Darwin anymore._ ”

A cold sweat spread across Monika’s body. To learn the object of her affections had vanished was bad enough without also hearing it from a disembodied voice.

Before Monika could ask Omi what she meant, the former club president spied Yuri sprinting toward them. Natsuki, who began dating the gothic woman just a few hours ago, was elated to see her girlfriend returning from her stroll. However, when the pink-haired girl noticed that Darwin was no longer accompanying Yuri, as well as the look of panic on her face, Natsuki’s joy swiftly turned into concern.

The four members of the Literature Club met each other halfway, Yuri struggling to catch her breath as tried to explain what was wrong.

“T-there was… s-something in the– Darwin’s…” the purple-haired girl could barely get the words out, her gasps for air impeding her oratory capabilities.

“What do you mean? Where is he?!” Monika exclaimed while getting far too close to Yuri’s face, causing the gothic girl to recoil in fright. Natsuki quickly placed herself between the two, literally pushing Monika away.

“Hey, back off!” Natsuki threatened, causing Monika to realize what she’d just done. The former president felt awful about scaring her friend, yet she could barely contain her own worries. Natsuki, meanwhile, switched from her brash persona to a more caring one as she turned to her girlfriend. “Yuri, it’s okay. Just take a deep breath and tell us what happened.”

“…While we were on our walk, my sunhat was blown into the water,” Yuri did as she was told, her breathing and heartbeat slowing down enough for her to speak. “When Darwin went to retrieve it… something grabbed him and pulled him under–”

“And you just left him?!” Monika regretted her words the second they flew from her mouth, though her fury remained with her.

Natsuki turned around, with a look on her face like she wanted to rip Monika’s head off. Fortunately, Sayori grabbed the former president by the arm before the pink-haired girl could say anything.

“Monika, not helping. You can’t blame Yuri for being afraid. Darwin’s immortal and (as far we know, anyways) we’re not,” Sayori reminded, bringing Monika’s rage down to more manageable levels. “Besides, Omi said she can’t sense him, so I think it’s safe to assume that whatever took him isn’t nearby anymore… Unless her powers don’t work on someone underwater…”

“ _No, you were correct,_ ” Omi mentally relayed to the four of them. “ _I felt Darwin’s mind panicking for an instant, then his thoughts just cut off. Whoever kidnapped him somehow shielded themselves from my powers, before moving outside my range instantaneously. So there was nothing Yuri could’ve done._ ”

Monika looked away from Sayori and back towards the purple-haired girl, who had tears silently streaming down her face. The gothic woman must’ve felt guilty, even after Omi’s logical assurance, since it was her hat that drew the immortal into the water in the first place.

Monika felt shame build within her heart, as she recognized that she’d snapped at a friend for something they already felt awful about.

“Yuri, I’m so, so sorry. I had no right speak to you like that…” Monika tried to offer her most sincere of apologies, to which Yuri responded by wiping the droplets away with her hand.

“I-it’s alright. I’m worried about him too,” Yuri said with a comforting smile alongside her reddened eyes. “The question now is how are we going to help him?”

“ _I think I might know where you can start,_ ” Omi explained, as the quartet made their way back towards the van. “ _It’s probably safe to assume that our culprit was one of the bunker escapees. Fortunately, Darwin’s computer should contain detailed files for every beast he’s encountered._ ”

“Wait, didn’t Darwin hand over everything he had to Bernadette?” Sayori recounted, remembering the flash drive the immortal gave to the leader of APART in exchange for their freedom.

“Those were just copies of the files, given that they were on a separate drive, so we should still have the originals,” Monika explained as she climbed into the driver seat. “Which is fortunate, because I remember Darwin saying there was also a program we could use to track the other monsters!”

“In that case, that seems like the perfect place to start!” Sayori exclaimed as she entered the passenger side of the vehicle. As each member of the Literature Club took her seat inside the old van, everyone soon took notice that Monika hadn’t started the car. “Um… we ready to go?”

“Yeah, you were in such a rush earlier…” Natsuki bitterly mumbled from the backseat, as Yuri tried to place a calming hand on her girlfriend’s shoulder.

“I… this is my first time actually driving…” Monika shamefully mumbled, even though it would’ve been a true statement if any of the four girls were behind the wheel. “I know I learned how during my life in the game… but it’s still kind of nerve-wracking. Especially since I don’t have an actual license…”

“ _Not to worry, there’s actually a much simpler solution,_ ” Omi offered, the monster’s presence within Monika’s mind having become an oddly comforting occurrence at this point. “ _There should be a little purple button behind the turn signal lever. Press it and you’ll be well on your way._ ”

Sure enough, Monika spied a small violet switch exactly where Omi said it would be, featuring a little black emblem shaped like a house. Remembering what Darwin said about the van being partially automated, Monika pressed the button expecting it to drive itself back to the bunker.

Instead, the front of the vehicle roared to life as a bright purple light began glowing through the cracks in the hood. Suddenly, a large indigo beam shot out the front of the van.

The laser stopped a few feet in front of the car, as if it’d hit a wall, and began spreading outwards into a large circle. After about half a minute, the pillar of light dissipated and the girls were left with a portal that seemingly led right to the bunker’s vehicle bay.

“Well… that certainly saves on travel time,” Natsuki muttered, astonishment failing to fully impede her sardonic nature.

With a destination in sight, Monika cranked the ignition. The members of the Literature Club mentally conveyed their gratitude to Omi for all her help, as she offered them one final piece of advice.

“ _Remember, no matter what, take care of each other,_ ” Omi bid farewell to her new friends as Monika drove the van through the circle, which closed behind them the instant the vehicle was completely inside.

The telepath sighed with both relief and disappointment as the thoughts of the four girls vanished from her mind, as only worry for her old ally now occupied her brain. Still, knowing he’s survived worse, Omi did her best to reassure herself.

_Whatever happens, I’m sure Darwin’s will be fine…_

* * *

If there was one thing Darwin knew for certain, it’s that he was far from fine.

As the immortal came to, having passed out upon his involuntary plunge into the ocean, he sat upright and quickly took note of his surrounds.

First off, Darwin could breathe, so he knew he wasn’t underwater. The immortal gave a sigh of relief, although he was uncertain how he’d ended up back on dry land.

However, Darwin couldn’t see very far in front of himself, as only the area immediately around him seemed to be illuminated. Everything else was pitch black, so Darwin presumed it must be nighttime.

As Darwin tried to move forwards, his hand collided with something firm and sticky. Once the immortal retracted his arm, he realized that some sort of membrane surrounded him, which also appeared to be the source of the nearby light.

Suddenly, from out of the darkness, a goblin shark eerily drifted past Darwin. The immortal was just as stunned by confusion as he was by fear. The predator circled back around, hovering in the air while inspecting the odd object in front of it.

As the beast judged whether or not the being in front of it was food, a terrifying recognition instantly clicked within Darwin’s mind. The animal before him and the darkness that surrounds him told the immortal he was in far more danger than he initially believed.

Suddenly, the goblin shark darted back into the infinite blackness of the deep sea. Turning his head, Darwin spotted the cause of the animal’s fear and the perpetrator of his abduction.

The monster floating behind Darwin could best be described as every beautiful and horrifying conception of a mermaid contained in a single form. The more aquatic aspects of her physiology were oddly reminiscent of a koi fish. The orange and white scales on her body sparkled in the limited light, while her flowing red hair practically had a brilliance of its own. From almost everyone angle, one could be forgiven for finding her beautiful.

Yet anyone who looked directly at this monster would change their mind upon witnessing her pitch-black eyes, the emptiness of which made the goblin shark’s look vibrant by comparison. The fact that she didn’t have a mouth only made her stares all the more unnerving.

“ _Good, you’re finally awake,_ ” the mermaid’s words reverberated within Darwin’s mind.

Unlike communicating with Omi, this monster’s thoughts were far more forceful; listening to her gave the mental sensation of hearing fingernails scraped against a chalkboard.

“ _During the decades in which you held me_ prisoner _, inside that tiny glass cage, I had time to ponder many things. Revenge was a common thought that crossed my mind,_ ” the mermaid explained as she gripped the membrane surrounding Darwin in her hand, causing the immortal to immediately comprehend how thin his protection from the outside ocean really was.

Fortunately, the monster relaxed her grip, as she lazily circled his enclosure.

“ _Yet, I eventually came to the conclusion that you were right to lock me away. Although I require human beings for sustenance, what I did in order to survive was still… cruel,_ ” the mermaid reflected, as Darwin noticed a hint of genuine guilt within her thoughts.

However, her following words were practically dripping with malice, sending a chill up the immortal’s spine.

“ _Which is why it’s fortunate I found you, the man who cannot die,_ ” the monster swam uncomfortably close to Darwin’s bubble, an unnatural look of hunger permeating her black eyes. “ _You can provide me with everything I need for the rest of eternity, sparing all the innocent humans who might’ve one day become my prey. Isn’t that considerate of me?_ ”

Fully grasping the direness of his circumstances, Darwin knew there was only one thing he could do in this situation. Despite the absolute terror encompassing him, the immortal’s mind remained totally silent.

“ _…I see what you’re trying to do, and it’s a futile gesture,_ ” the mermaid claimed. “ _While it’s true your fractured mind makes it difficult to do anything other than broadcast my thoughts to you, it won’t matter in the end._ ”

The monster then swam back into the darkness, leaving Darwin with one final, haunting thought:

“ _I won’t have to break you to get what I want. In time, the isolation will accomplish that all on its own._ ”

* * *

“But I’m certain that’s what it was!” Yuri exclaimed as she read the results on Darwin’s computer.

After returning to the bunker, the four girls swiftly moved from the vehicle bay to Darwin’s office on the first floor. The quartet was in such a hurry they didn’t even bother to change out of their swimsuits, each more concerned with finding the identity of their friend’s kidnapper.

However, upon arriving in the familiar workspace and successfully gaining access to Darwin’s desktop computer, the Literature Club realized their search wasn’t going to be an easy one.

For starters, Darwin’s database of monsters contained over five thousand entries. Although Monika brilliantly narrowed down the search by isolating pages with the “aquatic” tag, that still left almost a thousand entries to peruse.

Fortunately, Yuri remembered a phrase she’d heard Darwin say just before he was taken, which was currently the only other clue they had to go on. Unfortunately, when the gothic girl typed in what she thought for certain was the name of the marine monster; the search bar only returned a disheartening message:

**0 results found for ‘Abby.’**

“I know that’s what I heard…” Yuri continued; her fury now replaced with disappointment and doubt.

“Hey, don’t beat yourself up about it,” Sayori offered, placing her hand on the taller girl’s shoulder while offering a comforting smile. “This is just a small hurdle, so we can’t let that discourage us.”

“Besides, just because we got on his computer easily doesn’t mean the rest of this going to be a walk in the park,” Natsuki smiled with her signature toothy grin, before it transitioned to a facetiously concerned scowl. “Though, after learning that Darwin thinks ‘password’ is acceptable cybersecurity, I’m honestly more worried now about living here than ever before.”

Yuri smiled at her friends’ efforts to comfort her. However, one member of the Literature Club clearly wasn’t in the mood to dawdle, as Monika shoved past Yuri and Sayori to try her own hand at locating the culprit.

Sadly, Monika didn’t have any better luck. Whether it was “Abbie” or “Abbey” the emerald-eyed girl’s attempts to respell the name Yuri heard were all met with the same (lack of) results.

"Damn it… okay, we’ll just have to go through all of them,” Monika frustratingly muttered. As the emerald-eyed girl turned back towards her friends, she failed to notice Sayori sidling past the former club president and typing something new. “We’ll have to work in shifts, otherwise we’re going to be too tired to rescue Darwin later. There's a lot to go through, but if we start now–”

“Oh, here we go!” Sayori suddenly exclaimed, surprising the distracted Monika behind her.

The remaining members of the Literature Club turned back towards the screen, which now prominently displayed the far more hopeful message:

**7 results found for ‘Aby.’**

“Heh, I realized what Darwin said might not have been a name but part of another word,” Sayori explained as Monika looked at her with a bewildered expression. “Seems like being part of a club about literature is finally paying off!”

“Well, I guess that’s why you’re also the president of said club!” Natsuki replied as she took the computer mouse in her hand.

A petty part of Monika wanted to point out that Sayori was only president because the former one had been deleted, but the emerald-eyed girl recognized that she wasn’t the one who came up with the solution to their problem. Maybe the blue-eyed girl was a better fit.

“Let’s see… man-eating baby doll, never-ending labyrinth, sentient wallaby–” Natsuki mumbled as she skimmed through the results.

“Wait. That one,” Yuri said, pointing to the picture of a mermaid-esque creature accompanying one of the articles. “Those are the same arms that pulled Darwin into the water. I’m sure of it.”

“Damn, those are some creepy eyes…” Natsuki muttered as she clicked on the image, which led to a separate page dedicated to the monster they now knew was called “Abysmal.”

Contained within this article was a concise compendium regarding this creature, outlining everything from the mermaid’s personal history to Darwin’s original containment procedures. As fascinating as this information might’ve been, some members of the Literature Club were too impatient for any unnecessary reading right now.

“Well, do you see the part that will let us track her?” Monika asked, practically leaning on Natsuki to try and peer over her shoulder.

“Would you back off? I wanna learn about this thing, might tell us how to beat her,” Natsuki responded. Monika hated the idea of having to wait any longer, but she was forced to silently concede the validity of Natsuki’s point. “Let’s see… nearly extinct species, extradimensional kingdom, mysterious cataclysm, mutated survivor, can’t remember her name, isolated cell block… whoa, guys, check this out.”

The quartet crowded around the screen while Natsuki pointed to a section titled “Powers & Abilities,” which read:

_Abysmal’s physiology is specifically adapted for living in deep-sea habitats. This accounts for extreme temperature changes, lack of natural light, depths of up to 12,000 meters, and even pressures over 150,000 psi. Despite this, Abysmal’s other powers are somehow even more remarkable._

_This aquatic monster is a gifted telepath, an ability that was apparently utilized by her species for communication and sustenance (see “Feeding Habits” for more information). Abysmal’s psionic powers come with a sort of “aqua sense,” granting her an awareness of any sentient creature in physical contact with water containing a salinity of at least 3.5%._

_This aqua sense works well with her primary method of hunting prey: Hydroportation. So long as the solution contains the appropriate salt content, Abysmal can transition through subspace from one aqueous medium to another. How her body is able to survive rapidly relocating from her typical habitat to a completely different environment is unknown._

_Finally, Abysmal’s eyes are capable of secreting an oxygen-rich mucus, which she can use to preserve prey for future meals. Although somehow strong enough to withstand intense ocean pressures, the material can still be broken with relatively minimal applications of force._

This section went on to talk about Abysmal’s swim speed, scale density, and claw strength, but Monika had already skipped ahead to the “Psychological Profile” section.

_Despite her capabilities for speech and reasoning, Abysmal barely qualifies for a sentient being due to her seemingly total lack of empathy. To her, all intelligent life is little more than a food source. She’s truly a predatory creature through and through, possessing more in common with sharks than humanity._

_However, Abysmal has shown some special regard towards me specifically, though that may simply boil down to being both captor and provider for over 2000 years. It’s unlikely this behavior is actually a result of “caring” about me, and more of an acknowledgment of my advantageous differences from the rest of her “prey.”_

_Beyond these observations, Abysmal’s emotional distance and selective amnesia have made it difficult to get an accurate read on her personality. At the time of writing, it seems unlikely she’ll ever willingly become anything other than what she already is._

“Well, this is certainly informative. Can’t say any of it’s particularly helpful,” an annoyed Monika expressed, before noticing a horrified look on Sayori’s face.

The club president had skipped to the “Feeding Habits” section at the bottom of the page, which she disconcertingly pointed towards for the others to see.

_Although it’s currently impossible to determine whether her lack of a mouth is a result of her mutation or just an aspect of her baseline physiology, it’s undoubtedly the evolutionary catalyst for Abysmal’s required use of her telepathic abilities for feeding._

_Her mind is somehow able to convert the psionic energy she absorbs from others into caloric energy. Abysmal’s feedings session only cause lasting damage if her victims aren’t allowed adequate time to recover._

_Once per week, I shall permit Abysmal to feed off my brainwaves for no longer than an hour._

“…Holy fuck, Darwin was feeding himself to this thing?!” Natsuki expressed with the same mix of shock and disgust that the other three girls were feeling. “Guess that explain why she took him… and probably part of why his brain’s so messed up.”

“Natsuki, it’s cruel to joke about things like that, even if Darwin isn’t here…” Yuri reminded, being one of the few people who could actually make Natsuki feel guilty about her wisecrack.

Having reached the end of the page, Natsuki’s shame dissipated upon noticing a link at the bottom labeled: “Initiate Tracking Algorithm.” Clicking on it, a new window opened up displaying a CGI model of the Earth. After scanning the planet for a few moments, the sphere rotated to show a bright red dot blinking off the southern coast of Japan.

“Of course, she lives in the deepest part of the ocean…” Natsuki frustratingly muttered while massaging the bridge of her nose. “Welp gang, I guess we’re going to the Marianas Trench.”

“On the plus side, I’ve always wanted to visit such a mysterious location,” Yuri confessed, trying to lighten the mood, though she couldn’t deny that the situation was dire. “Though, the question still remains, how are we going to get there?”

The four girls briefly pondered, each failing to finds an absolute solution to the myriad of problems a journey to this locale would encounter. All eyes eventually fell on Sayori, as everyone hoped that their leader would somehow formulate of some miraculous strategy. Crumbling under the pressure in the face of impossible expectations, the blue-eyed girl gave a defeated sigh.

“We need help.”

“Perhaps I can be of assistance?” The quartet was surprised by the sudden appearance of an unfamiliar voice, causing them to initially suspect that Omi was contacting them again.

However, Monika soon noticed that the computer screen had changed. In place of the globe was a blue silhouette of a woman, which pulsed in sync with the mysterious voice.

“Hello. I’m Cynthia, Darwin’s digital assistant. You are registered users Sayori, Monika, Natsuki, and Yuri,” the apparent source of the voice stated, uttering each name with a robotic inflection that didn’t match up with her regular manner of speech, while the quartet recovered from their initial shock. “How can I be of service?”

“Um… we’re trying to figure out how to get to the Marianas Trench?” Sayori explained, her quizzical tone indicating the uncertainty she felt towards this new entity.

“Understood. Based on your last accessed page, I presume you’re trying to catch Abysmal?” Cynthia asked. The quartet hesitantly nodded, unsure if she could even see their reactions. “Well, in the past, Darwin would utilize his personal submarine to reach this location. Have you tried that?”

“We… have a submarine?” Sayori asked, a mix of disbelief and excitement appearing on her face.

“Indeed. However, I advise you prepare accordingly for a psychic threat before our departure,” Cynthia warned them, the suddenness of her reminder convincing Monika that this was the main purpose of the A.I.’s creation. “I shall meet you in the vehicle bay!”

With that, the silhouette vanished, causing the original image of the Earth to reappear. Monika, confident in their ability to rescue Darwin, was about to make a mad dash for the vehicle bay before Sayori stopped her.

“H-hang on, we need to make sure we’re thinking this through,” the club president stated, as Monika gave her a frustratingly confused look. “Shouldn’t we reach out to Bernadette? Isn’t this something APART should deal with?”

“We… we don’t have time for that!” Monika’s anger overrode her surprise as she snapped at her friend. “If we don’t hurry, Darwin’s mind could be permanently damaged!”

“I mean, the guy recovered from getting his head blown open, so he’ll probably be fine if we–” Natsuki tried to add before Monika cut her off.

“We don’t know that! We don’t know how any of this works!” Monika was raising valid points, but her friends definitely didn’t appreciate her tone and volume. “We’re going, right n–”

Suddenly, Sayori grabbed Monika by her bowtie and pulled the emerald-eyed girl’s face close to her own.

“How many times do we have to tell you? You aren’t in charge anymore!” Everyone was startled by Sayori’s out-of-character forcefulness, especially Monika. “I’m not going to let you lead our friends to their deaths because of your obsession!”

“I– I can’t… please… don’t make me chose between the two things I care about most,” Monika’s desperate words exited her mouth as tears began to form in her eyes, while Sayori could practically hear the emerald-eyed girl’s heart breaking. “I… I know I promised I wouldn’t put him before the three of you. Yet when he’s not here… it’s like a piece of my soul is missing. I… I don’t think I can survive losing him.”

“…I already told you, we aren’t rescuing him because you want us to,” Monika looked at Sayori with helpless, watery eyes, as if she’d just been informed a family member had died on the way to the hospital. Then, Sayori released Monika’s bowtie, and a comforting smile replaced the club president’s serious scowl. “We’re going to save him because it’s the right thing to do.”

Monika wrapped Sayori in a tight embrace, as feelings of gratitude and relief washed over her. Then both girls looked upon their fellow club members, just to ensure they were also onboard.

“…Well, Yuri already said she wants to see the Marianas Trench, so I guess I better go to keep her safe,” Natsuki decided, to which Yuri rewarded her with a peck on the cheek.

“How thoughtful. Plus, although I haven’t known him for very long, I still consider Darwin a friend,” Yuri confessed. “I… also still feel somewhat guilty for his abduction, and I believe liberating him shall put me at ease.”

“Then it’s decided!” Sayori exclaimed as the former club president wiped the tears from her eyes. “First, we’ll need to make more of those anti-psychic headbands, and our swimsuits probably aren’t appropriate for deep sea exploration.”

“I can handle that!” Monika announced as she ran over to the RMM at the back of the office. As the emerald-eyed girl went right to work, Natsuki couldn’t help making a final observation that the rest of the Literature Club managed to laugh about, despite the frightening events on the horizon.

“By the way, I can’t be the only one who’s not surprised that Darwin made his A.I. a chick, right? Like, out of everything we’ve seen from him so far, I think that’s the least shocking.”

* * *

Natsuki quickly decided that the ocean is truly the most terrifyingly beautiful place on Earth.

Once the Literature Club had returned to the vehicle bay, each sporting their new wetsuits and metallic headbands, Cynthia led them to the unfamiliar second level. On this floor, the quartet found a large, blue submarine and a water channel that presumably led to the ocean (which the girls quickly concluded must’ve been how Abysmal originally escaped).

The watercraft was bigger than a single-person submersible, yet still smaller than the average submarine. It was clear that the design was deliberately chosen with a limited crew in mind, though that still raised the question of how Darwin was able to operate it on his own.

The quartet soon got their answer upon boarding the vessel, as Cynthia explained she could copilot the sub so long as there was a human driver. Upon hearing this Natsuki, Yuri, and Sayori began to worry that they’d hit another roadblock.

However, before any of them could discuss who might have skills adjacent enough to operate the vehicle, Monika nonchalantly took a seat in the captain’s chair at the center of the chamber. With a few flicks on the console in front of the emerald-eyed girl, the submarine roared to life and began traveling through the water channel in front of it.

While the whole group was surprised, Natsuki was the most suspicious of Monika’s suddenly intuitiveness. The former club president was too nervous to drive a van, yet had no trouble with a submarine?

Although the others were content to assume that (due to the interface being digital) her expertise was somehow a side effect of her coding prowess from the game, Natsuki suspicions wouldn't be dismissed so easily.

Since leaving the bunker, the submersible had made significant progress. While this massive vehicle lacked the portal-creating capabilities of the van, the watercraft still used an unusual method of travel.

Cynthia had explained that, at some point in the past, Darwin seeded the ocean with “transport beacons.” Similar to the way Abysmal’s powers worked, these allowed the craft to briefly enter subspace, crossing impressive distances in short bursts.

The interior of the sub was almost entirely a sterile white, and the walls were covered in displays giving off information Natsuki couldn’t hope to understand.

There were a total of six chairs in the chamber, not counting the captain’s, which told Natsuki Darwin must’ve had (at one point) enough friends to necessitate that many seats.

A brief curiosity entered Natsuki’s mind as she remembered the pictures in Darwin’s room. He clearly used to have more friends than the four girls he brought to this world, but what’d happened to them?

The pink haired-girl might’ve pondered further questions, like why Darwin never talked about them or if they were even still alive, yet she ultimately decided she didn’t care enough about the immortal’s social life to worry about it.

Natsuki watched the ocean outside the window at the front of the ship, her view of the marine environment being occasionally interrupted by the blinding light of their craft shifting in and out of this dimension. As different deep-sea creatures, both creepy and awe-inspiring, drifted by the vehicle’s porthole, the pink-haired girl couldn’t help but marvel at how unbelievable her current lot in life was.

Natsuki then turned her head towards an even more pleasant sight, that of her sleeping girlfriend in the next chair. The petite woman still couldn’t believe her luck, having her feelings reciprocated by the one she most admired. Just hearing the soft breathing of the girl who loved her brought a smile to Natsuki’s face.

Her visage returned to normal, however, when she looked back at the former club president steering the ship. Steeling herself, Natsuki let out a weary sigh before moving to the seat closest to Monika.

“Oh, hey Natsuki. What’s up?” Monika asked upon noticing her friend’s approach, although she didn’t actually look up from the controls in front of her. “Are Sayori and Yuri still asleep?”

“Yup, which isn’t surprising given how damn late it is,” Natsuki responded while rubbing her tired eyes, just now noticing Sayori softly snoring in the back of the room. “Are we almost there?”

“Mhm, should be in the next three jumps,” the emerald-eyed girl explained as their craft once again slipped in and out of subspace. “…Two jumps.”

“Heh, good to know,” Natsuki expressed; the timbre of her words making it clear to Monika that something was bothering her shorter friend.

Although some would’ve reasonably assumed this was simply the result of an inevitable confrontation with a psychic vampire/mermaid, the former club president presumed there was something deeper at play. Given recent events, and her overall relationship with Natsuki, Monika had a pretty good feeling what it might be.

“Hey, so… I’m sorry for how I treated Yuri back at the beach,” Monika said, much to Natsuki’s surprise. “I know I’m doing a pretty shitty job of living up to promise I made, and that was an especially egregious mistake on my part–”

“Don’t worry about it,” Natsuki unexpectedly stated, causing Monika to do a double take. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, if Yuri hadn’t forgiven you I’d have made you eat your teeth. But she did… and I didn’t want to upset her by making a big deal of it.”

“That’s… very considerate of you,” Monika expressed, impressed by Natsuki’s newfound restraint.

“I guess. Feels kinda weird though,” the pink-haired girl replied, informing the former club president that he dour mood wasn’t (just) caused by Monika’s treatment of her girlfriend. “…Do you remember what Yuri said earlier, about how she knew she liked me once she realized there’s more to me than my brash behavior?”

“Yeah. That was really sweet,” Monika recalled before realizing she’d probably said the wrong thing.

“I mean, I get it, I’m not the easiest person to be around when I’m like that. Plus, it is somewhat performative on my part,” Natsuki explained before leaning in close to whisper the rest of her confession, ensuring Yuri wouldn’t hear anything if she woke up. “But I started acting this way to survive a really fucking awful situation, and it’s still a part of who I am. And to hear Yuri just dismiss a side of me like that…”

Natsuki looked back at her gothic girlfriend, who continued to slumber away peacefully. Monika had never seen her pink-haired friend look as sad as she was gazing upon the cause of both her greatest joy and deepest fears.

“I just… I feel like I can’t be myself anymore,” Natsuki admitted, fighting back the tears that wanted to flow from her eyes. The now familiar white glow of subspace shone through the window once more as Natsuki gathered the courage to keep speaking. “I don’t know how to be the person she wants me to be all the time. I don’t want to hurt her… but I don’t want to be hurt either…”

Monika couldn’t help but feel like she was the worst person to ask for relationship advice, and she couldn’t fathom why Natsuki was reaching out to her. Still, the former club president had a pretty good idea of what to say.

“There’s a fine line between someone wanting you to change because you’re a bad person, and someone wanting to change something they don’t like about you. I don’t think this is either case,” Monika explained, her words piquing Natsuki’s interests as she wiped away the almost-tears from her eyes. “Yuri definitely didn’t mean to hurt your feelings, which is exactly why you should tell her about it. It can be difficult for anyone to talk about their feelings, and I totally understand why it’s especially (and understandably) true in your case, but you shouldn’t have to hide a part of yourself because you’re afraid of losing her. If Yuri couldn’t love all of who you are – and I believe she can – then she wouldn’t deserve you.”

“That’s… not even close to what I thought you were going to say,” Natsuki stated as her sad expression was swiftly replaced with a shit-eating grin. “I thought you were going to tell me I should murder all my friends to ensure she can’t love anyone else.”

“…I admittedly deserved that,” Monika muttered, as Natsuki fought the urge to burst into hysterics. “Speaking of, I’m surprised you asked me for advice at all, given my history with… unhealthy relationships.”

“I mean, obviously I trust Yuri and Sayori more than you,” Natsuki bluntly replied, unafraid of hurting Monika’s feelings. “But I don’t want any of them to see me being… weak. On the other hand, I don’t really give a shit what you think about me.”

“Heh, fair enough,” Monika said with a smile, happy that she could at least be of some help to her friend after everything that’d happened to her. “I think you should able to confide in your girlfriend but, until you get to that point, you can always talk to me.”

“…Y’know, this version of you, the one who’s trying to do right by us? I like her,” Natsuki admitted. Monika noticed the surprising amount of sincerity in her friend’s eyes, which soon gave way to concern. “Which is why that other version of you, the one who snapped at Yuri and Sayori, you need to keep her in check. I’m glad we’ve gotten to a place where we’re all mostly friends again, but that doesn’t mean your actions won’t have consequences. I… I don’t want you to do something you can’t come back from… Something else, anyways…”

Monika appreciated Natsuki's concern, even if it was accompanied by her brutal honesty. The emerald-eyed girl already felt guilty enough, but she knew that she’s been walking a dangerous line these past two days.

How strange it is, for Monika to wish to get back to the place she was with her friends before she became obsessed with the player. She didn’t regret falling for him, but a part of her still desperately wanted to get regain what she’d lost.

Just as Monika was about to offer some kind of assurance to Natsuki’s worries, the sub slipped into subspace for the final time. The white glow of the extra-dimensional space faded away to reveal the pitch-black terrain of the Marianas Trench.

“…We’re here,” Monika announced, stirring Yuri and Sayori from their slumber. The three girls not piloting the ship gathered around the window, as the submarine’s floodlights illuminated the chasm around them. “Cynthia; how close are we?”

“Darwin’s tracker indicates he’s only 50 meters ahead of us,” the AI explained. Sure enough, now that she knew where to look, Natsuki spotted a white sphere faintly glowing in the distance. Monika, seeing the same on her monitor, began to move the vehicle closer to their target.

“Wait, Darwin tagged himself?” Natsuki asked before the logic behind that choice clicked in her mind. “Actually, given our current circumstances, I guess that was smart.”

Having come to a stop just outside their immortal friend’s holding cell, the trio at the window could barely make out Darwin’s form within the bubble. Upon noticing his saviors, Darwin’s face and body language expressed a sudden panic. Yet, without any means of communicating, they couldn’t make out whatever it was he was trying to tell them.

“So… how are we going to get him?” Sayori asked, to which Monika realized she didn’t have an answer for.

The emerald-eyed girl frantically scanned the ship’s manifest for retrieval equipment, a secondary submersible, or deep-sea diving gear; finding nothing they could use at this depth.

“We… didn’t think this through,” Monika lamented as she slapped her hand against her forehead. The quartet gave a collective sigh, before a cold sweat ran across the emerald-eyed girl’s body. “Wait, if we were tracking Darwin, where’s Abysmal?”

“One moment please,” an uncomfortable amount of silence passed as Cynthia recalibrated the sensors to locate their new quarry. “…Abysmal is directly below us.”

Suddenly, the whole ship shuddered and lurched, as if the craft itself was shaking in terror. The three girls by the window toppled over due to the sudden movement, while the one in the captain’s chair desperately tried to remain seated.

“Propulsion systems offline. Beginning self-repair procedure,” Cynthia calmly stated before the submarine’s movements finally came to a stop.

As the fallen trio rose to their feet, Sayori saw a pair of haunting black eyes, as deep and dark as the chasm they found themselves in, staring back at her from outside their window. As the club president recoiled in fright, the remaining members of the Literature Club also spotted the creatures floating before them.

In Abysmal’s right hand she held an important looking mechanical component, which she simply let sink to the seafloor. Then the creatures swam over to Darwin, wrapped her tail around his bubble, and began pointing towards her own forehead.

“D-does she want us to take off our headbands?” Sayori asked, having deduced Abysmal’s meaning while the creatures began slowly crushing the immortal’s malleable shelter.

“What does she think we are, stupid?!” Natsuki exclaimed as Monika rose from her chair to join her friends at the window. “This dumbass is trying to blackmail us by threatening someone who can’t die!”

Ordinarily, even though she was worried about Darwin, Monika would’ve agreed that the mermaid’s methods were highly flawed and illogical. Yet, then the emerald-eyed girl saw the look on Darwin’s face. He was scared, more than she’d ever seen him. Hell, he was more scared than she’d ever seen anyone.

Monika looked upon her fellow club members and remembered that, even though a body can recover from many traumas, those afflicting the mind can last a lifetime. Since this threat was directed towards someone who could live forever, Monika knew she didn’t have a choice.

Before any of the other girls could stop her, the former club president undid the metal loop around her head and let it clatter on the floor.

Then the pain started.

Monika fell to her knees and clutched her head in agony, while blood began seeping from her nose. As the emerald-eyed girl struggled to breathe, Sayori grabbed the discarded headband. Monika, however, stopped the blue-eyed girl before she could put it back on, having noticed that Abysmal was no longer encircling her prisoner.

“ _Good, now we can actually get somewhere,_ ” Abysmal stated within Monika’s mind as the creature swam closer to the window. “ _So, what the fuck are you four doing in my home?_ ”

“W-we’re here to save Darwin,” Monika managed to say as she stood back up. Her ascension was brief, however; for she soon collapsed once again as the pain increased in intensity.

“ _I gathered. I meant what are you to him? I couldn’t find anything in his mind about the four of you,_ ” Monika could barely comprehend Abysmal’s words as she howled in agony. It was as if the creature’s actual claws were rooting around in her brain. “ _I guess I’ll have to see what I can find in yours._ ”

“Monika, please! She’s killing you!” Sayori pleaded as she tried once more to place the metal loop around Monika’s head.

The emerald-eyed girl, however, wouldn’t let go of her dome; whether this was due to the pain or her own non-compliance was impossible to tell. Natsuki and Yuri desperately tried to pull Monika’s arms away, but neither was strong enough to best her iron grip.

“God damn it!” Natsuki exclaimed as she failed to hold the writhing girl. “Cynthia, aren’t there any torpedoes or something we can blast aquatic bitch with?!”

“I’m sorry, but this craft isn’t weaponized,” the AI calmly replied as Natsuki loudly groaned in frustration.

“ _I see what you think I am! Some heartless predator who feels nothing for her victims! And you’re right!_ ” Abysmal practically screamed within Monika’s mind, as the emerald-eyed girl felt her brain being torn asunder. “ _But I’m trying to be better! Don’t you understand? If I can’t feed off Darwin, innocent people will die! Who are you to deny me this?! Who are y–_ ”

Suddenly, the pain faded from Monika’s mind. As the former club president opened her eyes and wiped the blood from her mouth, the quartet saw what seemed like recognition upon the creature’s face.

“ _Oh… I see,_ ” Abysmal thought to herself while her black eyes somehow managed to clearly convey disappointment. “ _Guess I really just want revenge after all._ ”

Upon hearing this thought, Monika witnessed Abysmal swim back over to Darwin’s bubble. The quartet was about to cry out in terror when the creature sank her claws into the soft membrane, but their worries dissipated as the mermaid simply lifted the immortal’s container off of the seafloor.

“ _And here I thought you were a friendless shut-in,_ ” Abysmal told Darwin as she swam back towards the window. “ _Here, take him._ ”

“C-Cynthia, open up the airlock,” Monika weakly said as the other three girls looked at her in confusion, although all four were uncertain what about their situation just changed.

Hearing an exterior part of the sub open up, Abysmal swam out of sight. Tense moments of silence passed as the mentally exhausted Monika caught her breath, before the AI finally chimed:

“Airlock sealed. Darwin is now onboard. Also, propulsion systems back online,” Monika exhaled a sigh of relief as her fears finally abated. Her concerns threatened to resurface, however, when the mermaid reappeared outside their window.

“T-thank you,” Monika stated to the creature before her. “But… w-why did you return him to us?”

“ _…Given what I saw in your mind, and what I know about his past… it’ll hurt Darwin more to let you all stay together,_ ” Abysmal cryptically replied, a look of genuine guilt appearing on her almost featureless visage. “ _I’m…_ sorry _the four of you will get caught up in everything that’s soon to come._ ”

With that final thought, the creature swam backwards, slowly waving goodbye as it vanished into the infinite darkness. The four girls sat in eerie silence, each unnerved by the uncertainty of whatever the monster was trying to imply.

The sound of feet clanking against metal below them reminded the quartet that they weren’t alone on this vessel anymore. As Darwin finished ascending the ladder leading from the lower levels, his body still partially covered in slime, Monika swiftly rose from the ground to envelop the immortal in an overzealous hug.

Yet Monika found that her embrace wasn’t reciprocated as Darwin simply stood in place; the dazed look upon his face matching that of a soldier suffering from shellshock.

As Monika lowered her arms, Darwin moved towards the captain’s chair with an almost robotic gait. Taking his seat, the immortal gave a simple (and almost silent) command.

“C-Cynthia… take us home,” Darwin’s last words were nearly inaudible as the engines once again roared to life. The four girls stood awkwardly in place, uncertain how they should respond to this behavior. Finally, Natsuki’s annoyance overrode her anxiety as she strolled towards Darwin and softly slugged him in the shoulder.

“Y’know, a thank you wouldn’t go unappreciated,” Natsuki said as her fist made contact with Darwin’s body, to which to immortal responded with a delayed recoil. “We only risked our lives after all.”

“…What?” Darwin’s hesitant and simple response caught Natsuki off-guard. The immortal reacted as if he’d just now noticed the girls surrounding him.

“Darwin, are you okay?” Sayori, taking a more considerate approach, calmly questioned the immortal as she carefully placed a hand upon his other shoulder.

“…Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” Darwin replied with a fake smile. The immortal put on a brave face as he began piloting their trip back to the bunker. “After all… I’m indestructible.”

* * *

If there was one thing Darwin assumed he’d never be afraid of, it was his shower.

By the time the quintet had finished their long, awkward journey back the bunker it was well past midnight. Once again the dangers of Darwin’s world had kept the five of them from getting a good nights sleep, so they each returned to their abodes in the hopes of finding what little shut-eye they still could.

Now, Darwin stood before the stream of running water, eager to wash away the slime from today’s misadventure. Yet the immortal was hesitant, even though he knew how illogical it was to be scared.

Darwin’s conscious mind recognized that Abysmal couldn’t reach him here, that the tap water pouring from the showerhead wasn’t a medium she could travel through. Yet some deep, animalistic part of his mind wanted him to run in terror from this basic appliance.

The immortal’s body flinched as he finally stepped under the stream, before he went to work taking the quickest shower possible. Yet, try as he might to think of other things, the touch of the water upon Darwin’s skin took him right back to that nightmarish cavern.

Darwin’s heart began to beat irregularly as the images in his mind shifted to something from long ago. He saw an underwater cave, an unrecoverable loss, and cold eyes that could rip out one’s soul.

Deciding he was clean enough, the immortal practically flung himself out the shower and desperately tried to catch his panicked breaths.

Turning off the water and changing into fresh clothes, Darwin was about to turn in for the night when he heard a knock at his door. Upon opening the entrance, the immortal was greeted with the familiar emerald-eyes of Monika.

“H-hey there,” the former club president nervously stated. “Just… wanted to check on you.”

“Oh… I appreciate that. I’m okay though,” Darwin lied, failing to mention the panic attack he’d just experienced in the shower.

“…Yeah, I don’t believe you,” Monika replied with a smirk, though her visage displayed clear concern. “You’re behavior on the sub was weird, even for you. You know you can talk to me, right? So if something happened down there–”

“I’m afraid of the water,” Darwin bluntly half-lied. The fear part was truthful, and the genuine embarrassment upon his face convinced Monika there was nothing else to his conduct.

The immortal scratched the side of his face, somehow with even less energy than usual. It was as if the mixture of terror, exhaustion, and shame was making even his trademark habit a difficult effort.

“H-hey, that’s okay too. Everyone’s scared of something…” Monika weakly tried to reassure him, having clearly expected a more fantastic explication.

“Y-yeah, I… what are you trying to do Monika?” Darwin suddenly asked, catching the emerald-eyed girl by surprise. “I’m not stupid, I know how you feel about me. And… I don’t think you are either. You must have realized I knew too. So… why are you here?”

“Because… I don’t want you to be alone right now,” Monika response was simple, yet its sincerity surprised Darwin. The immortal was expecting a far more selfish explanation, that this was just another effort to win his heart. Instead, he could tell that she genuinely wanted to reach out and help him, no matter how it benefited her.

Was this really the same monster that’d caused so much pain and suffering in another life?

Darwin stepped out of the way, letting the girl inside, and then closed the door.


	7. Okay, Everyone!

Despite her many hardships and mistakes, Monika truly felt that she lived a privileged life.

When the young woman stirred from her slumber, her emerald eyes opened to the pleasing sight of Darwin sleeping next to her. Listening to the immortal softly breathe, Monika resisted the urge to squeal with delight over her current circumstances.

Although nothing had actually happened between the two of them last night, the former club president couldn’t help but feel overjoyed. The object of her affection knew how she felt about him, and he didn’t reject her!

Granted, he didn’t exactly reciprocate her feeling either, but Monika assured herself that this was progress nonetheless.

Following her example, Darwin started to awaken as well. The immortal sat up, his eyes spying the girl still lying on her side.

“Hey… morning,” Darwin groggily greeted his platonic bedmate as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. The immortal then turned his gaze towards the digital clock atop his bedside table, which showed the time to be 9:40 AM. “Guess we should probably start our day, right?”

“Probably. Counter-offer, we could stay in bed for rest of the day,” Monika requested, far too comfortable to leave her friend’s mattress without a fight.

“Heh, even if we were to do that, I’d still need to use the bathroom first,” Darwin admitted as he rose out of bed, strolled over to his restroom, and closed the door behind him.

To her dismay, Monika realized she too needed to make use of the facilities. Plus, after quickly smelling her own breath, the former club president decided it couldn’t hurt to brush her teeth as well.

Monika begrudgingly rose from her resting place, gathered her discarded pieces of clothing, and began the journey back to her room. To the emerald-eyed girl’s surprise, she found Sayori, Natsuki, and Yuri all hanging out in the hallway.

“Oh… morning ladies,” the half-awake Monika mumbled as she trudged past her friends. The girl’s emerald-eyes shot open, however, once she realized what she’d just done.

The other members of the Literature Club were fully dressed in their school uniforms, even going to the unnecessary length of put on their jackets and bowties. Monika, on the other hand, was only sporting her button-up shirt, black stockings, and underwear.

“Oh… oh my gosh,” Sayori managed to say, her visage displaying the same astonished expression as Natsuki and Yuri. “D-did… did you and Darwin–”

“N-no! It’s not what it looks like! We were just sleeping together!” A string of expletives ran through Monika’s mind as she immediately realized how egregious she’d misspoken.

“Holy shit, you totally did!” Natsuki exclaimed. It was impossible to discern from her tone if she was actually happy for Monika or just greatly enjoying the emerald-eyed girl’s embarrassment.

“What goes on out here?” Darwin asked, leaning out the door with a toothbrush sticking out of his mouth. The sudden appearance of the immortal only made the situation more awkward for the fully clothed trio, though Monika was grateful a new voice had arrived to clear up the confusion.

“D-Darwin! Tell them nothing happened between us!” Monika exclaimed. The blush covering the embarrassed girl’s cheeks was so strong her face was almost completely red.

It took the immortal a second to figure out what Monika was requesting of him, mainly because he didn’t understand what all the commotion was about in the first place. Once the realization clicked within his mind, Darwin spat his mouthful of toothpaste onto the floor and swiftly came to the former president’s defense.

“Oh yeah, Monika’s telling the truth. She was just–” Darwin’s explanation came to a halt as he realized what he’d just done. The immortal turned his head back to the small pile of dentifrice and spittle on his right, while the other four girls looked at him with either confusion or disgust. “I… don’t know why I assumed there’d be a sink there…”

“Heh, good to see you’re back to your old self,” Sayori cheerfully said as Darwin began pressing a series of commands on a nearby console. A panel at the base of the wall opened up, as a small spider-bot exited. The little machine went right to work cleaning up the miniature puddle before the immortal finally noticed that someone was talking to him. “You were acting pretty strange yesterday, so we were all a little worried about you.”

“We were?” Natsuki asked, to which Sayori responded by elbowing her shorter friend in the shoulder. “Ow, hey! Uh, I mean, yeah! Absolutely… can we get breakfast now?”

“Heh, sure,” Darwin responded as the quintet began their journey to the kitchen, while Monika silently redressed. “I appreciate the concern, by the way. That’s actually why Monika was in my room last night. I was… scared, truth be told, because of what’d occurred yesterday, and she offered to keep me company so I could fall asleep.”

“Oh, that actually makes sense,” Natsuki stated, surprising everyone by not making a joke at Darwin’s expense. “Like, if we’d been dealing with a giant spider monster, there would’ve been a sleepover in my room last night for sure… Wait, are there actual giant spider monsters out there somewhere?!”

“…So what do you guys want to do today?” Darwin scratched the side of his face while avoiding the question, as a look absolute horror appeared on Natsuki’s visage.

“Well, we should probably do something relaxing here, given the ‘exciting’ events of yesterday,” Yuri posited, to which Sayori’s eyes lit up in response.

“Ooh ooh! We should do a poetry exchange!” The president of the Literature Club was practically vibrating with excitement, and her enthusiastic energy swiftly infected the others. “This will be our first one since coming to this world! Plus, Darwin can participate too!”

“That’s a great idea!” Monika responded as she finished tying her hair up in her iconic white bow. “Heh, recent events certainly give us plenty of new material to work with.”

“Huh, I haven’t written poetry in a couple decades, but I guess I can give it a shot,” Darwin decided as the quintet arrived at the door to the kitchen. Darwin raised his right hand triumphantly in the air as he announced: “In that case (after we get some breakfast), let’s split up and get to work!”

The immortal then felt something wet running down his thumb. In his hand, Darwin saw that he was proudly holding up his toothbrush, as the quartet tried to stifle their laughter.

“Oh, so you guys just let me make a fool of myself like that?” Darwin grumbled as the four girls burst into varying levels of hysterics. The immortal sighed as he began the trek back to his room. “This is why I have trust issues.”

* * *

Despite the earlier moment of jollity, Natsuki’s current situation was anything but.

After breakfast, the quintet went their separate ways to write poetry. Although Natsuki had originally planned to tackle this latest challenge solo, she was more than happy to accept Yuri’s offer to work together.

Deciding to set up in the library, the couple initially had a nice back-and-forth about the various topics they wanted to write about, jotting down ideas on paper obtained from Darwin’s office. However, it wasn’t long before Yuri noticed that something was clearly bothering Natsuki.

Yesterday, during their rescue of Darwin, the pink-haired girl mentioned to Monika how an earlier comment from Yuri had hurt her feelings. Despite her worries that bringing it up would just start an unnecessary conflict, the shorter girl decided to follow the former club president’s advice and speak to her girlfriend. Although Natsuki had been hesitant to talk about it, she figured it was better to just get it over with.

Now, as Yuri struggled to hold back remorseful tears, the pink-haired girl was certain she’d figured wrong.

“C’mon Yuri, it’s not that big a deal,” Natsuki said, her back pressed against a bookshelf while her own guilt grew. “I know you didn’t mean anything by it, so you don’t need to beat yourself up over this…”

“I– I know that…” Yuri stated, sitting against another bookshelf beside Natsuki’s, as she wiped away the wetness forming around her eyelids. “I just… I hate how inconsiderably cruel I can be sometimes…”

Natsuki had expected the gothic woman to respond negatively to the assertion or just be outright dismissive, accusing the petite girl of overreacting to an innocent statement. Instead, Yuri was so wracked with regret over her actions that it was starting to worry her pink-haired girlfriend.

The shorter woman had no idea Yuri felt such contrition over the mean things she’d said to her former rival back when they were trapped in the game. Natsuki was typically the aggressor, so it surprised the pink-haired girl that someone could actually feel worse about those exchanges than she did.

“Hey, don’t talk like that,” Natsuki responded as she drew Yuri in for a hug. “I’m not upset with you or anything. I just… want you to like all of me, even the rude and defensive parts.”

“I swear I do,” Yuri promised as she accepted her girlfriend’s embrace. “Just know that I’d never, ever do anything to deliberately harm you. Especially after learning how your horrid father treated you…”

“Let’s not worry about that. Bastard wasn’t even real,” Natsuki was swift to switch topics, as she broke away from the hug just enough to look into Yuri’s violet eyes. Although the gothic woman was certain this wouldn’t be the last time her girlfriend’s trauma would have to be addressed, she was grateful for the change of subject. “Now, we’ve all been crying way too much lately. I don’t want either of us to think about the difficulties we’ve faced right now.”

At that moment, it dawned on the couple that this was the first moment they’d ever had any actual alone time. As the pair peered into each other’s eyes, it was like a flame of carnal desire suddenly ignited within each of their minds.

You know that feeling when two people have just started dating and they can’t keep their hands off each other? While hormones and obscene thought flooded their brains, the two girls held each other just a little bit tighter as their breaths got a little bit heavier.

“I just want to focus on the here…” Natsuki began to say her face grew ever closer to Yuri’s. “And the now.”

Natsuki’s lips were eager to meet Yuri’s, and the other girl clearly shared the sentiment. However, quick as the kiss began, it was soon met with resistance by the other party.

“W-wait, Natsuki, this is so… indecent,” Yuri protested once her mouth was free from Natsuki’s. “W-what if someone sees us?”

In truth, Yuri was all the more excited by the risk associated with making out in a location where others could easily catch them. However, the more polite side of her felt the need to object to this behavior, even if it was a scenario straight from her innermost desires.

“We shouldn’t just... you know…” Yuri trailed off as the pair’s breathing slowed down. Although Natsuki could read her girlfriend like a book, she didn’t want to risk overstepping any boundaries.

“Hey, if you’re not into this, then that’s all there is to it,” Natsuki said as she pulled away from Yuri, to which the gothic girl looked more than a little disappointed by. “I’m not the kind of person who pushes someone outside their comfort zone. I couldn’t live with myself if I did. So, as they say, the ball’s in your court now. I’m happy spending time with you regardless of what we do, so whenever you’re ready to move forward is fine by me.”

Natsuki gave a reassuring toothy grin, causing Yuri to smile due to her girlfriend’s considerate nature. Although she tried to stall for time by running her fingers through her hair, while Natsuki gathered her materials to resume writing her poem, the gothic woman knew what she wanted.

Yuri moved into a nook between bookshelves before signaling with her hands for Natsuki to join her. Once the pink-haired girl approached her girlfriend in the more private location, she was ambushed with another kiss on the lips.

As the two took each other in their arms, Natsuki could barely get out a quick sardonic comment in-between smooches.

“There’s no way we’re going to finish our poems in time!” Natsuki facetiously whined as she and Yuri shared a brief series of giggles. This period of jollity was brief before the two resumed their passionate exchange.

After some trepidation on the shorter girl’s part, Natsuki took her place atop of Yuri, whose back lied firmly against the ground. While their first kiss on the beach had been incredibly awkward, Yuri was giving Natsuki a tremendous chance to improve her skills. Although neither were experts, their lips eventually started to move in-sync with one another’s. Like a proficient dancing duo, the two eventually found the right rhythm to make the experience perfect.

However, just when the pair was really getting into it, their moment was interrupted by an unexpected sensation.

“Jesus! Your feet are so cold!” Natsuki suddenly stated as something cool brushed past her leg.

“…I’m still wearing my shoes,” Yuri eventually replied, causing a look of confusion to appear upon Natsuki’s face. The pink-haired girl looked behind herself, and her blood ran cold because of what she saw.

By Natsuki’s feet was the same spider-bot from before. The little machine was slowly sweeping away dust and dirt off the floor.

Although the metal arachnid wasn’t doing anything malicious, its sudden appearance and close proximity caused Natsuki to freak out. The pink-haired girl desperately scrambled to get away from the robotic entity, accidentally elbowing Yuri in the face. In a moment of pure reflex, Natsuki kicked the spider-bot across the room, which landed on its back with a loud “clunk.”

“Fuck! That thing scared the shit out of me!” Natsuki exclaimed while she caught her breath, rising off the ground as she spoke.

“I hadn’t noticed,” Yuri sardonically stated while rubbing her nose, although the shy girl decided not to actually point out her minor injury.

The couple approached the fallen machine, which helplessly wiggled its mechanical legs in the air. Unable the turn itself over, the creature looked far less intimidating to the pink-haired girl.

“Aw man, now I feel kind of bad,” Natsuki muttered as she flipped the robot over, allowing it to walk again. “It’s actually pretty cute, even if it looks like a gross spider.”

“I didn’t know arachnids bothered you so much,” Yuri stated. the mechanical worker resumed cleaning as if nothing had transpired.

"Seriously? I only wrote a whole poem about it,” Natsuki replied. It took few moments before Yuri fully comprehended the oddity of her girlfriend’s response.

“‘…Amy Likes Spiders’ isn’t about how we shouldn’t judge others for their interests?” The gothic woman eventually responded, causing Natsuki to finally understand where the confusion was coming from.

“I mean, yeah, it is. But spiders are also creepy and I hate them,” the pink-haired girl frankly stated, to which Yuri lightly chuckled. “I just tried to pick the most unlikable thing I could think of when I wrote it.”

“Understood,” Yuri responded as the little machine scuttled out of the library, apparently satisfied with its efforts. “…So, if it’s alright with you, I think I’d like to work on my poetry now. I’m afraid everything that just happened has… put me out of the mood, as they say.”

Natsuki looked as if she was about to say something sarcastic in response, but then she noticed the red mark where she’d elbowed Yuri in the face. Although it was a simple accident, Natsuki reacted as if she’d run over her girlfriend with a car.

“Oh my god Yuri! I’m so sorry!” The pink-haired girl tried to inspect her girlfriend’s injury, yet she seemed afraid of accidently harming her again. “I-I swear I would never hit you! I-I didn’t mean– o-oh g-god…”

“Natsuki! It’s okay! Just breathe,” Yuri reacted on pure instinct, totally taken back by her girlfriend’s sudden behavior, as she held the hyperventilating woman in her arms. “It was an accident, and it’s not nearly as bad as it looks. It probably won’t even leave a bruise. I’m okay. We’re okay. Just breath.”

Following her girlfriend’s advice, Natsuki eventually managed to calm down. The two remained in their embrace, feeling momentarily protected from the cruel world outside the library.

“Uh… thanks,” Natsuki awkwardly muttered, an embarrassed blush spreading across her cheeks as she finally broke away from the hug. “I, um… guess I saw what I did to you and thought about what my dad did to me. It was just… a lot to process all at once.”

“I completely understand,” Yuri comfortingly replied as she gently kissed Natsuki’s cheek. “You’re nothing like… him. You’re so thoughtful and caring, and I feel completely safe when I’m with you.”

“…Thank you. It means a lot to hear that,” Natsuki returned Yuri’s smooch with one of her own, as the two managed to softly laugh at all the craziness that’d transpired in such a short timeframe. “Heh, gotta be honest, I’ve kinda lost the mood too after all that excitement. Plus, I’ve got plenty of inspiration still, so might as well get to work!”

The couple returned to their original spot, and resumed their writing with renewed vigor. Each girl began jotting down lines with incredible efficiency, occasionally sharing stanzas with one another to see what worked and what didn’t. Overall, it was a wonderfully peaceful moment for the two weary women.

However, Yuri’s relaxed expression changed to awkward realization when she glanced towards the ceiling. Elbowing her girlfriend in the side, the gothic girl pointed to the cause of her (and now their) distress.

“…How do we keep forgetting about the cameras?!”

* * *

The crinkling of paper in Darwin’s hands accompanied the loud hum of the RMM at work in his office.

Darwin leaned back in his chair and, apparently unsatisfied with what he’d written, crumpled the parchment into a ball and threw it across the room. The sphere bounced against the lid of the trashcan, landing on the ground next to other wadded up, rejected poems.

“Having trouble?” Sayori said as she suddenly entered the room, catching the distracted Darwin by surprise.

“Heh, I guess you could say that,” Darwin admitted as the coral-haired girl took a seat atop his desk. “Are you and Monika already done?”

“Yup! Monika’s in the kitchen now, cooking up some refreshments for the event! I thought I’d swing by and see how everyone was doing,” Sayori replied, as her curious blue eyes wandered to the machine at the back of the room. “Speaking of working on other projects, what’cha got going on here?”

“Well, I noticed that you four kinda have a clothing shortage problem. So I’m crafting some new outfits for y’all,” Darwin explained as the machine finished its task, accompanied by a familiar pink shirt and jean shorts plopping into the tray.

“Aw, that’s considerate of you!” Sayori exclaimed as she retrieved the recently printed clothing, which was clearly based on her causal design from the game. She then turned back towards with a cheeky look on her face. “Though, to be honest, most girls prefer to shop for their own clothing.”

“Heh, fair point,” Darwin conceded as he input another recipe into the RMM. “I’ll just print out en extra outfit for each of you, so you don’t have to wear your school uniforms all the time, and we can all hit up a mall someone in the future.”

“Ooh, that’d be fun!” The president of the Literature Club skipped down excitedly, before returning to her place on Darwin’s desk. The coral-haired girl picked up Darwin’s notebook in her free hand, which contained several crossed out ideas. “So what are you getting stuck on?”

“Well… I guess it’s a content issue,” Darwin stated. While the immortal initially thought to articulate his thoughts carefully, as not to offend his friend, he eventually decided being direct was probably better for this scenario. “Not to be curt but, in the actual game, pretty much every poem you guys wrote was a kinda cry for help. Which is fine, of course. Everyone should be free to express whatever they want in their art. I guess I just don’t want the first poem of mine you guys see to be some messed up shit, but I’m having trouble thinking of anything that isn’t at least a little personal.”

“I totally understand, it can be difficult to find the balance between speaking from the heart and… over-sharing,” Sayori placed Darwin’s notebook back on the table as she spoke, all the while a reassuring smile never left her sunny expression. “But that’s the best part about poetry! You can write about some heavy stuff, but do it in a way that isn’t obvious to the reader without analyzing it. That’s what I tried to do when I first shared one of my poems with… Edward…”

Sayori trailed off upon mentioning the name of the game’s main character. Although she continued to smile, her blue eyes took on a distinctively sad quality.

“You must miss him,” Darwin stated after a few moments of silence, having finally realized what caused the coral-haired girl to become so suddenly glum.

“Yeah, all the time. It’s as hard to get over the fact that I’m never going to see him again as it is to accept that he was never really part of my life to begin with,” Sayori admitted as she let out a mournful sigh. Still, as the club president didn’t want someone worrying over her, she quickly changed the subject. “What about you? I’ve seen the pictures in your room, with you and all those other people. Whatever happened to them?”

“…I mean… lots of things happened,” Darwin finally admitted. Although he seemed willing to speak, his hesitation told Sayori this wasn’t exactly an easy subject. “Some of them have died, some of them haven’t, and some of them… some of them…”

Under normal circumstances, Sayori would’ve assumed Darwin trailed off due to painful memories. However, the blank look on the immortal’s face told the coral-haired girl that his fractured mind had simply caused him to lose focus. Sayori tapped her fingers against the wooden desk, the irregular noise bringing him back to reality.

“Ah, s-sorry. Anyways, and then there are some friends like Omi, whom I see every so often but… probably not often enough,” a distinct look of guilt crossed Darwin’s visage. The immortal’s mouth then curled into a sad smirk while he solemnly chuckled, as old memories reignited within his mind. “I used to have a friend who was a poet, and I’m just imaging him ribbing me for having so much trouble writing something now.”

Sayori joined in his bittersweet laughter, as she recalled her first experience writing poetry for Edward and his reaction to how rushed it was. Although he gave her some playful teasing, it was still one of her happiest memories; getting to share something she poured her heart into with someone she cared deeply for.

“Heh, well, at least we still have our memories of them,” Sayori offered as she rose from the desk. “As long as we’ve got those, we’ll never really lose them.”

“That’s… very insightful, actually. You’re certainly wiser than I was at your age,” Darwin said, to which the club president responded with a quizzical expression.

“…How recently had fire been discovered when you were my age?” Sayori asked, partially facetiously as well as legitimately.

“Har har, point taken. Now get out of here you smartass,” Darwin wryly retorted as he picked his notebook back up. “I’ve got like half an hour to write something before the club meeting, so I’ll meet you there.”

“Sounds good!” Sayori replied as she began her walk out of Darwin’s office. “Looking forward to seeing what you come up with!”

Just as Sayori turned towards the hallway, Natsuki and Yuri almost crashed into her in their hurry. The two girls were gasping for air, while sweat built atop their foreheads. As the taller girl struggled to catch her breath, her shorter companion desperately cried out:

“Delete that footage!”

A long, semi-awkward silence passed as Darwin stared blankly at the couple. When the immortal finally realized he had no idea what she was talking about, he dryly responded:

“Well Natsuki, given how nice and totally not mistrusting of me you’ve been… nah.” 

* * *

“Monika, settle something for us. Isn’t it normal to want to bang someone in a library?”

If there was one thing the former club president hadn’t been expecting when her friends entered the lounge, it was that question.

After swiftly completing her poem, Monika went to work setting everything up for their first official meeting. The room she’d chosen, the lounge, was about what she’d been expecting based on how Darwin described it.

In the center of the space, there was a large couch shaped somewhat like the letter ‘c,’ with a glass table in front of it. There were also several chairs and beanbags of various designs scattered throughout. On the wall opposite of the couch, there was a massive flat screen TV with multiple video game consoles resting on the floor nearby.

On the table, Monika had placed a bowl of chocolate covered almonds and a tray of sugar cookies. Next to her delectable confections was a kettle of peppermint tea, along with enough cups for each participant.

Just as Monika had put her treats on the table, her four friends entered the room. However, just as she was about to welcome everyone, Sayori landed one whammy of a query on the emerald-eyed girl.

“Um… I… haven’t really thought about it before,” the surprised Monika eventually replied.

“Oh come on. You’ve never thought about how sensual and romantic it’d be? To be surrounded by so much knowledge, knowing you have to keep quiet, and the thrill of potentially being caught in the act?” Sayori describe the scenario to Monika with the same tone and expression one might have when explaining what they had for breakfast, making the scene all the more odd and awkward for everyone else present.

“…Alright, that does sound kind of hot,” Monika finally relented, a small blush creeping across her face as the scene played out in her mind.

“See Darwin! I told you everyone thinks about it!” Sayori said to the immortal beside her, a look of victory upon her face.

“The issue isn’t that they were… canoodling in a library, the issue is that it’s _my_ library!” The frustrated Darwin replied, which finally gave Monika an understanding of how this topic of conversation came up.

“Can we please just drop it?!” Natsuki suddenly exclaimed, the blush on her face almost as pink as her hair.

The five of them stood awkwardly in place for several moments, with Yuri even covering her face with her hands due to how mortified she was. Eventually, and thankfully, the silence was broken by the sound of Sayori’s stomach rumbling.

“Hmm… food, “Sayori mumbled, before walking over to the table.

With the embarrassing event effectively forgotten, everyone else quickly grabbed some refreshments.

“M-my compliments to the chef,” the still ashamed Yuri managed to say as she popped an almond into her mouth. “It’s quite impressive that you whipped all of this up in such a short amount of time.”

“Heh, thanks Yuri! To be honest, having a kitchen that practically constructs the dish for you helps a lot,” Monika confessed, as Natsuki bitterly bit into a cookie.

“Hmph… my inner baker is pissed at how tasty this actually is,” the pink-haired mumbled, forced to admit that the automated cooking appliances could actually make good food.

“Welp, are we ready to start exchanging poems?” Monika asked, receiving enthusiastic nods from the rest of the group.

The original members of the Literature Club quickly got into their groove, as they were accustomed to working with an odd number of participants. Monika and Natsuki were the first to pair off, while Yuri poured herself a cup of tea.

Darwin, however, awkwardly stood in place, as he wasn’t sure what to do. It was similar to when an exchange student starts their first day of school, and they’re too unfamiliar with the group dynamics to approach anyone. Fortunately, Sayori saw the immortal’s predicament and quickly intervened.

“Hey, Darwin! Mind if I share my poem with you?” Sayori ask as she approached the immortal, wiping cookie crumps off of her lips.

“Not at all, I’d love to see what you came up with.” Darwin gratefully replied as Sayori handed a crinkled sheet of paper to the brown-eyed boy, which read:

Hurricanes:

The scary wind rips and tears.

It feels like it will never end.

Horrible noises from outside the walls,

As we seek shelter underground.

 

A hurricane blew through town last night,

Giving everyone such a fright.

Yet seeing the sun shine so sublime,

Makes it worth it every time.

 

Will another storm come and hide it away?

I hope it stays, even if it’s not for long.

 

So when’s lunch?

Darwin looked up from the paper, spotting Sayori sporting a guilty smile as she pressed her index fingers together.

“Sayori, this is just a stab in the dark, but… was something else on your mind while you were composing this?” Darwin asked, his visage somehow conveying both disbelief and disappointment that he hadn’t been expecting this.

“I-I write better when I’m hungry!” The club president defensively exclaimed, her lips soon forming into a pout. “Besides, I worked really hard on this one, I just wasn’t sure how to end it…”

“Well, asides from the part where your stomach took over, this is still really well done,” Darwin replied, his sudden compliment catching Sayori off-guard. “The imagery is very clear, while the symbolism gives just enough detail that in can be interpreted in multiple ways.”

“Heh, you’re much better at talking about poetry than Edward was!” Sayori’s comment could’ve been seen as bittersweet, yet the smile on her face told Darwin this statement was part of a humorous memory, rather than a tragic reminder.

“Well, I was alive when the art form was invented, so I kind of have an unfair advantage,” the immortal sheepishly replied while scratching the side of his face. Just as Darwin was about to add another remark, Natsuki suddenly approached the pair.

“You guys are taking forever!” The petite girl exclaimed, unconcerned with whether or not she was interrupting anyone. “Are either of you ready to read my poem now?”

“Heh, we were just about done anyways,” Sayori responded. Darwin wanted to nod in agreement, but he was certain they were forgetting something. “Imma go grab some more food. You two play nice!”

The president of the Literature Club wandered back towards the confection-cover table, as Darwin’s face practically screamed, “don’t leave me alone with her!” Natsuki, noticing the immortal’s expression, turned her own head with a “humph.”

“So… sorry about the whole thing with the security camera,” Darwin said in an (unsuccessful) attempt to diffuse the situation, as the shorter girl turned beet red. “I probably should’ve figured what you guys were so embarrassed by and not–”

“Jesus, it’s fine! Just drop it!” Natsuki hissed, trying to keep her volume low enough that the others wouldn’t notice. It must’ve worked, given that Sayori was happily munching on another sugar cookie while Yuri was now exchanging her work with Monika. “Can we just share poems and get on with it?”

“Heh, fine by me,” Darwin responded with a smirk, which only seemed to frustrate the pink-haired girl more. The immortal took the poem she (forcefully) offered into his hands, which was titled:

A Pretty Gem:

The other day, while walking around,

I found a pretty gem, lying on the ground.

The little amethyst sparkled in my hands,

And I felt just a little bit brighter.

 

So I kept walking, carrying the stone.

All by myself, yet no longer alone.

For with this gem I’d made a new friend,

And I felt just a little bit safer.

 

“Crystals can heal,” some would deceive.

Yet with this stone, I’d almost believe.

My many sorrows were so far away,

And I felt just a little bit better.

 

Friends and family, love turned to dust.

Almost home, no one to trust.

But with this rock, the pain was dulled.

And I felt a little more whole.

 

Yet open the door, I wouldn’t have dared

I have the gem, why am I still scared?

 

I need the stone,

But does the stone need me?

 

I wouldn’t know; I’m not a pretty gem.

“Woah… Natsuki, this is fantastic,” Darwin finally replied, catching the disgruntled girl off-guard. “So… what did Yuri think of it?”

“A-ah, she… didn’t really get it, which I’m kind of grateful for,” Natsuki admitted, embarrassed that the meaning behind her poem was that obvious to the immortal. “Heh, she can be as dense as you are sometimes.”

“Well, sometimes it’s– Hey!” Darwin exclaimed, causing Natsuki to flash her toothy grin. “Ugh, apparently everyone’s a smart-aleck today.”

“Hey, better get used to it. This is just how we are,” Natsuki cheekily replied, to which Darwin rolled his eyes in response.

“Um… excuse me, Darwin?” Yuri diminutively said; the purple-haired girl having approached the pair so silently the she unintentionally snuck up on them. “I was wondering if you’d like to read my poem now?”

“Oh, totally,” Darwin responded as he handed Natsuki’s poem back to her.

Once again the immortal was certain he’d forgotten something, yet he pushed whatever it was to the back of his mind as he took Yuri’s piece of paper in his hand. Just as he was about to begin reading, Darwin noticed that the pink-haired girl was still standing next to them.

“Um… did you need something, Natsuki?” The immortal asked.

“Nah, just hanging around to make sure you don’t do anything funny with my girl,” the petite woman replied, as her boo’s face lit up red like a stoplight.

“N-Natsuki, t-that isn’t necessary…” the purple-haired woman actually didn’t mind having her girlfriend nearby, but she was a little embarrassed by her unneeded aggressiveness.

“Well, it’s not like there’s anything else to do right now…” Natsuki spoke truthfully; given that the other two people she could’ve shared her composition with were having their own poem swap. Sayori also apparently ate all the food, given that there was practically nothing left.

“…Fair enough,” Darwin conceded. Having delayed long enough, the immortal finally began to peruse Yuri’s poem, which read:

Ghost Under The Light pt. 3:

I stand under the flickering light,

My ghost’s hand in my own.

The burdens of life wash away

Here in this perpetual limbo.

I am sheltered from that torturous incubus,

Which tries to tempt me even in the light.

Suddenly, the flickering accelerates,

Reaching a crescendo of panic and terror.

The streetlight goes out, and the night consumes us both.

 

I open my eyes.

 

The streetlights are off, for the sun shines above.

The moon and stars have abandoned me.

No longer bound by oblivion,

Yet my demon calls for me once again.

Tears flow from my eyes as I laugh.

I gave up on understanding.

Now I understand everything.

Will it ever be night again?

“I, um… good job,” Darwin finally stated, as the lack of enthusiasm in his voice didn’t go unnoticed by the author. A part of him wanted to let the purple-haired girl know she could talk to him about anything if she need to but, remembering what Sayori said about the club being a place to vent, he decided not to put Yuri on the spot. “Natsuki, what were your thoughts on this?”

“I… I haven’t had any yet!” Natsuki suddenly exclaimed, seeming way more defensive than usual. “Yuri’s poetry is too deep and complex to understand right away. So you can’t rush it when you’re forming your opinion; she’s too smart of a writer for something like!”

“Heh, flattery will get you everywhere,” Yuri replied as she gave her girlfriend a peck on the cheek, although even she knew the meaning had sailed over the pink-haired woman’s head.

Natsuki’s face took on a slightly reddish quality, as she tried to play off how flustered it clearly made her. Darwin silently handed the poem back to Yuri, since the couple were clearly too invested in each other to engage any further with him. Once again that feeling of forgetfulness scratched at his brain, though at this point Darwin just assumed it was due to him forgetting to turn off the cleaning droid.

Leaving the lovebirds to their own devices, Darwin approached the one person whose poem he hadn’t read yet, Monika. The emerald-eyed girl had just finished her discussion with Sayori when she spotted the immortal approaching. Once the club president had noticed him as well, she gave Monika a knowing wink before ushering her towards the object of her affections.

“A-ah! H-hello Darwin,” Monika greeted the brown-eyed boy once she was close enough, seeming far more nervous than she typically was around him. “I suppose you’d like to read my poem now?”

“Well, you are the only one left,” Darwin stated, slightly wary due to how oddly Monika was behaving.

“S-sorry if this looks a little off, I’m used to writing my poetry in a notebook…” the emerald-eyed girl passed her piece of paper to the immortal, who took it into his hands.

Though the handwriting was familiar to what Darwin recognized from the game, the immortal couldn’t help but notice how wobbly the letters were, as if the author’s hands were shaking when she wrote it.

Delaying no further, Darwin actually began to read Monika’s poem, which was titled:

That Special Day:

Paradise found, after each mistake.

Enduring every hardship up to this moment.

A whole world of infinite choices

And my one true love within my sights.

 

Yet this can’t be all that I am.

I need to be real, not a program.

 

For even beyond this special day,

There’s still tomorrow.

“…Well, I won’t insult you by pretending I can’t understand the meaning behind this,” Darwin finally responded as a faint blush spread across Monika’s cheeks. “I guess I now see why you were so anxious.”

“Y-yes, well, it’s very strange, speaking openly about liking someone when they already know,” Monika replied, calmer since the nerve-wracking part of this exchange had passed.

“I’ve actually been meaning to talk to you about tha–” Darwin began before the emerald-eyed girl cut him off.

“Please, just… I need to say something first. While I was writing this poem I had a lot of time to think about how I feel about you,” Monika’s plea was enough for the immortal to go silent, curious as to where she was going with this. “I’m crazy about you, and I’m fine with that. But I want you to know, or maybe I just don’t want to forget, this isn’t all that I am. I also play the piano, I care about the environment, and (obviously) I love literature! I just… need to keep in mind that you shouldn’t be the end goal of my existence.”

“It’s… nice to hear you say that, actually,” Darwin replied, his smile catching Monika by surprise. Before the former club president could fully appreciate how well this was going, a certain pink-haired girl interrupted their moment.

“Hey Darwin, what’d you think of ‘That Special Day?’ Or, as I like to call it, ‘Monika’s Extreme Thirst,’” Natsuki sardonically said, either deliberately ignoring or somehow misunderstanding the poem’s nuances.

“W-well at least I wasn’t trying to do it in a library,” Monika replied, a smirk adorning her embarrassed visage.

“Oh yeah, you’d just rather sleep in a dude’s bed without any pants,” Natsuki fired back with a wry smile. Given how vitriolic their interactions have been in the past, it was nice to see these two engaging in mild teasing over something inconsequential instead.

“Alright, enough good-natured ribbing. We’ve got club matters to discuss!” The peace-making club president said as she and Yuri approached the trio. “First things first! We need to choose a new–”

“W-wait, I haven’t read Darwin’s poem yet!” Monika watched in bemused awe as an identical look of sudden realization crossed each of her friends’ faces. “He… did share his poetry with you guys, right?”

“I, um… I guess I’ll just read this out loud then,” the mortified immortal meekly said as he brought the crumpled piece of paper in his pocket up to his face.

Despite the concern that Darwin’s absentmindedness was seemingly spreading to the rest of them, the four girls still eagerly awaited hearing the words written before him.

A Cage:

There exists a cage, deep underground.

Thoughts and feelings, inside are found.

The dangers of the world, locked away,

Not to be seen in the light of day.

Yet helping hands undo that which bind,

Releasing the choked screams of a dying mind.

At last free to think any thought,

Yet leave this hell, it will not.

The cage is all it’s ever known.

The empty ruler sits on an empty throne.

Happy with the home in which it wakes,

What a difference an open door makes,

“…Well, it’s not bad, but it’s got nothing on one Edward's poems,” Sayori sardonically replied. “Like ‘Releasing the choked screams of a dying mind’ is good, but you can’t really beat iconic lines like ‘Adventure, cheer, fireflies, hopeless.’”

Darwin and Monika couldn’t help chuckling at Sayori’s jab at the poem minigame, though her comments seemingly left Yuri in a state of confusion and Natsuki in one of stunned realization.

“…Oh my god, Edward's poems were just a bunch of unrelated words!” Natsuki exclaimed, causing her girlfriend to suddenly come to the same understanding. “How did I never notice that before?!”

“Anyways, I wanna thank everyone for writing such beautiful poetry!” Sayori proclaimed, glossing over Natsuki’s bewilderment. “Now, our first order of club business is to welcome our newest member!”

The quintet all began to applaud in celebration. However, the four girls came to a halt when they noticed that the immortal was clearly unaware that he was clapping for himself.

“…Wait, you mean me?” Darwin asked, pointing a finger towards himself once the realization registered.

“Well, duh. Who’d you think she was talking about?” Natsuki replied. Darwin might’ve felt embarrassed by his mistake, had he not been swept up in getting be a part of something again after so many years of isolation.

"Ahem, if I could have everyone’s attention back please,” Sayori requested, not truly annoyed but still eager to get the meeting back on track. “Our next task is to pick our new VP!”

“Wait, isn’t that your choice?” Natsuki asked the club president, as the other two original members raised an eyebrow in shared puzzlement.

“Well, we’re trying something new! I want everyone to feel a little more involved in how we run this club,” Sayori replied. “So, any nominations?”

Almost as soon as the question had left her mouth, Monika’s hand shot into the air. Although a little taken back by her sudden participation, Sayori eagerly gave the floor to the emerald-eyed girl.

“I nominate Natsuki for vice president,” Monika plainly stated, utterly astonishing the entire group. “She’s a hard worker and her… persistent nature would compliment Sayori’s more patient personality.”

“M-me? Seriously?” The flabbergasted girl asked, as Monika replied with a sincere nod of her head. Although it may have been intended as a peacemaking gesture, Natsuki’s eyes still squinted with suspicion.

“A-alright, well… do we have any objections or other nominations?” Sayori waited for a response, and was met with silence. “In that case, I hereby bestow Natsuki the title of VP!”

Monika couldn’t help but notice that Yuri looked a little… not upset, but maybe disappointed? Still, the former club president had other things on her mind, so she decided not to dwell on it for now.

“So, that’s everything I had, does anyone else–” Sayori began, before Monika once again thrust her hand into the air. “Oh, you have an announcement?”

 “Sort of, more like a suggestion for something we probably need to take care of,” Monika replied as she strolled up next to Sayori.

The emerald-eyed girl took a deep breath to soothe her nerves, aware that her following statements might be somewhat controversial. Steeling herself, she spoke once more:

“As I’m sure you’re all aware, I’m in love with Darwin,” the former club president stated the obvious. Sayori could help but find it somewhat perversely funny that the immortal was unperturbed by Monika’s statement, although she recognized Darwin may simply be lost in his own thoughts again. “My concern is that, because of the simulator interpreting one of Sayori’s lines of dialogue too literally, I might not be the only one.”

Her final words caught everyone off guard, even Darwin looked more perplexed than usual. Sayori, having previously considered what Monika was referring to, knew that she was correct; she definitely felt… something for him.

Maybe it was just a platonic affection, or maybe it was something more. The only thing the blue-eyed girl knew for certain was that she wasn’t certain.

“W-what the fuck are you trying to imply?!” Natsuki swiftly responded, with both anger and embarrassment present in her voice. “If you haven’t noticed, I’m dating Yuri! Are you trying to undermine our relationship or something?!”

Monika was just about to defend herself from Natsuki’s accusations when a familiar hand stayed the petite girl’s rage.

“Natsuki… I care very deeply for you. I have no doubts about that,” Yuri calmly said, as she placed her palm against her girlfriend’s chest. “Yet whenever I look at Darwin… I pray you won’t hate me for saying this, but whenever I look at him it’s as if my mind is constantly whispering ‘What if?’ to me. Based on Sayori’s expression, I believe she feels the same. Are you positive you don’t?”

Natsuki was angry, more with herself than anyone else, because she knew Yuri was correct. Everyone turned their heads towards Darwin, who’s visage seemed to convey… guilt, more than anything else.

“Hey, guys, try not to freak out. We’re a team, we can fix this, and I might just have an idea how!” Everyone gave their attention back to Monika, eager for a way out of this awkward crisis. “Over the next four days, I suggest we each spend some time with Darwin one-on-one. This will give of us all a chance to get to know him better and, once we’re certain how we feel, we can all move forward from there.”

“So, wait, you of all people want us each to go on a date with him?” Natsuki asked, more surprised than upset.

“A-ah, we don’t necessarily have to think of them as ‘dates,’” Monika replied, embarrassed, as everyone else immediately recognized that the former president was absolutely going to think of her time with the immortal as a romantic rendezvous.

“That’s… actually a great idea,” Darwin replied. The quartet were expecting to see a different expression on the immortal’s face, given that he’d just agreed to go on dates with four cute girls. Instead, he just looked unusually focused. “I’ve fallen for people who I ended up feeling differently about after I actually got to know them, and you guys only really know me as a cryptic scatterbrain with a tendency to get kidnapped or killed. So I say we give it a shot.”

The immortal’s logic was sound, even if some of the club members were a little apprehensive. Still, uncertainty is never a pleasant feeling. Sayori, Natsuki, and Yuri eventually nodded their heads in affirmation, agreeing to the unusual scheme.

“Awesome! Then I believe there’s only one thing left to take care of!” Monika announced, drawing renewed looks of confusion. “We need to commemorate our first real meeting of the Literature Club with a photo!”

“Oh, here!” Darwin replied as he removed his phone from his pocket and tossed it to the club president.

Monika swiftly wedged herself next to Darwin for the photo, worming past her other friends to do so. Natsuki and Yuri held each other close to fit into the frame, causing their visages to blush with mild embarrassment.

“Okay, everybody ready?” Sayori said as she raised the phone up high, her face appearing in the bottom-right corner of the screen. “Everyone say ‘Doki Doki!’”

* * *

Within Darwin’s office, the little spider-bot continued it’s thankless labor.

The tiny machine, having just finished wiping off the desk, was now working on clearing the debris below. With its metal pincers, the little robot began moving wadded up pieces of paper to the nearby trash bin.

Had the spider-bot been capable of independent thought, it might’ve seen the partially unfolded one as more than another piece of garbage. It may have even recognized the rejected poem written across its surface, which read:

The Anchor:

There once was a man

Trapped underground.

Arms and legs, rope tied around.

Infinite regret, in a long lifespan.

 

Opposing forces tearing him apart.

An unending fall and rise.

Desiring once more to see the skies,

For one of two choices, he lacked the heart.

 

Desperate, through his legs he did bite.

Unable to cry, all strength spent.

Without the weight, upwards he went.

Hope renewed upon seeing sunlight.

 

A group of friends living aboveground,

Connecting threads their ankles would show.

Their only crime is whom they should know.

The anchor still threatens to drag them all down.

Yet it didn’t. Instead, the robotic arachnid grabbed the errant thought, and left it in the garbage with other discarded ideas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And after all the trouble I went to downloading custom fonts for the girl's poetry...
> 
> It took several installments, but I finally wrote an actual slice-off life chapter! Granted, this is the first time I've ever actually written any poetry, so (while I'm surprisingly happy with how they turned out) I'm sure I messed up the rhythm or something.
> 
> Anyways, big update, I'll be leaving to start my Master's program in a week, and I'll basically be on a working vacation for the first month, so it might take me a little while to get the next chapter out. Stranger Than Fiction isn't going on hiatus or anything, but I can't promise the next installment will be ready in two weeks. Sorry for the delay!


	8. SAYORI'S DATE: Happier Thoughts

“You know, when you said it was important to stop and smell the roses, I didn’t realize you were speaking literally.”

As the president of the Literature Club took in the lovely fragrance of the flower before her, she also enjoyed the relaxing sounds of the birds and insects around her. Sayori couldn’t help also overhearing the varied conversations of the other nearby couples.

Although the New York Botanical Gardens was a popular spot for romantic rendezvous, the coral-haired girl and her escort weren’t exactly looking to fall in love with each other. Not deliberately, anyways.

“Not that I’m complaining or anything,” Sayori continued as she rose from her crouched position next to the rose bush. “You certainly picked an interesting spot for our ‘date’ today.”

After Monika suggested that each member of the Literature Club should spend time with Darwin one-on-one, the coral-haired girl was so excited by the idea of exploring the world outside the bunker that she swiftly volunteered to go first. Everyone was a little surprised when the obsessive former-president didn’t want to steal that spot from Sayori; she even offered to go last, leaving Natsuki and Yuri to work out the remaining order between the two of them.

The next day, although he knew it wasn’t technically a real date, Darwin still prepared as if it might as well be. From how much he brushed his teeth to taking a little extra time washing his face, the immortal paid a touch more attention to his grooming than usual. Although his ensemble wasn’t fancy, he actually took the time to think about which shirt would go better with the shorts he was planning to wear.

Although Sayori wished she shared his enthusiasm that morning, especially considering how eager she’d been previously, her behavior was almost the total opposite. She had to force herself out of bed. She barely bothered to run a brush through her hair, leaving it the frayed mess it usually was. Sayori put on her casual pink t-shirt and jean shorts without any real thought, like she was operating on autopilot.

After a quick breakfast, each saying goodbye to their friends for the afternoon, the immortal and the club president met up in the vehicle bay. Darwin’s van apparently had more surprises under its hood than Sayori expected, as it only took entering a command into what appeared to be a GPS device for their ride to create a portal straight to the Botanical Gardens.

The brown-eyed boy tried to explain to his passenger why no one noticed a random van suddenly appearing in a public parking lot, something to do with “perception fields,” but she wasn’t really listening.

Despite the bright sunlight of the New York morning, Sayori was having a rainy day.

Still, although her depression seemed determined to bring her down, the blue-eyed girl did what she always would in these circumstances: put on a big smile and act like nothing was wrong. So far, it was working, given that the brown-eyed boy in front of her didn’t seem to notice anything was wrong.

“Well, I’ve been meaning to revisit this place. This rose garden is one of my favorite spots in New York,” the immortal explained, looking more at-ease than Sayori had ever seen him. “The person this place is named after, Peggy Rockefeller, is a philanthropist and conservationist. I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting her, but I like to come here whenever I need a reminder of humanity’s more positive aspects.”

The pair continued to walk down the concrete path, taking in new sights and smells as they went. Although it wasn’t exactly quiet, there was still something serene about the noises of this little slice of paradise.

“Plus, it’s one of the few actually peaceful places in this city,” Darwin eventually added. “It’s also just public enough that we shouldn’t have to worry about any monsters showing up.”

“Heh, that’s good. Wouldn’t want a repeat of what happened at the beach,” Sayori added, remembering the immortal’s kidnapping at the hands of the mermaid Abysmal. “But, I have to ask, why are they afraid of being seen? What do they get from staying in the shadows?”

“Well, originally, they knew any publicity would be bad for staying off my radar,” Darwin explained, stopping next to a metal structure covered in flowers. “Most of them probably aren’t aware I’ve retired, so they’re likely still laying low. Those looking for revenge against me will eventually realize APART is hunting them now, so they should stay hidden as well.”

“Huh… good to know,” Sayori mumbled, her smile starting to grow faint.

The poor girl was getting weary; having to act positive when one isn’t is a rather draining effort. Darwin, taking notice of Sayori’s sudden drop in energy, swiftly changed the subject.

“Hey, want to check out another part of the garden? We can also look for a place to sit down and rest for a bit,” the immortal offered, to which the coral-haired girl nodded in affirmation.

The duo began their trek towards the exit; all the while Sayori’s sense of self-loathing grew increasingly louder in the back of her mind. Darwin had devised such a cool little activity, yet the blue-eyed girl felt like she was ruining it for both of them.

The fear that she was wasting her sole chance to sort out her feelings towards the immortal, without any additional interference, only heightened her dreary state. Although Sayori wouldn’t mind returning to the Botanical Gardens at a later date, she actually found the idea of exploring the area with her other friends rather appealing, she didn’t want to spend the rest of her life wondering “what if?” because she couldn’t hold it together for a few hours.

At least, that was the way the coral-haired girl saw her behavior. Yet, unbeknownst to Sayori, a secret observer witnessed her pain and knew her struggles weren’t of her own making.

As her guilt and self-hatred grew, and their mystery spectator followed behind, Sayori took comfort in one fact: eventually, today would be over. Soon she’d be back home, where everything was at least a little more predictable.

* * *

 

“I need to you spank my girlfriend.”

This marked the second day in a row that one of Monika’s friends made a comment she hadn’t been expecting.

Knowing that Sayori and Darwin would be out for most of the afternoon, also that Yuri and Natsuki would be in one of their rooms doing… whatever couples do when (almost) no one’s home, Monika had planned to take the whole day for herself. Grabbing one of the books she’d borrowed from the immortal’s library and a cup of coffee, the emerald-eyed girl had set up in the lounge for a relaxing afternoon.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before her moment of solitude was interrupted by the sudden arrival of Natsuki and Yuri. The taller woman had a look of embarrassed frustration upon her face, while the shorter girl looked more focused than Monika had ever seen her.

It was then that the pink-haired girl bluntly made her request; its tone making Natsuki seem determined that she was going to get what she demanded, and the vitriol behind her voice made Monika feel as if it was somehow her fault that she was being propositioned.

“…I don’t know how you expect me to respond to that,” Monika finally replied, closing her book and setting it down on the glass table.

“I– Look at this,” Natsuki swiftly commanded, holding up her girlfriend’s hand. As Yuri’s sleeve rolled downward, the emerald-eyed girl spotted three colorful rubber bands around her wrist. “Do you know what these are?”

“Uh… a thrifty fashion statement?” Monika’s response was intended to be humorous but, judging by her friends’ reactions, it clearly didn’t land.

However, the girl with the ponytail then considered who was sporting the elastic loops, and it instantly made sense why she was wearing them.

A well-known method for dealing with tendencies of self-harm is to snap a rubber band against one’s arm. Although she didn’t understand the specifics, Monika knew the pain caused by this action is supposed to calm one’s urges to injure themselves. Seeing the realization on her face, Natsuki and Yuri knew the former club president finally understood the situation.

“I… borrowed these from Darwin’s office after breakfast, when I noticed that my more harmful thoughts were resurfacing,” Yuri explained as she rolled her sleeve back down. As she prepared her next statement, a faint blush crept across Yuri’s visage. “H-however, the tactic I employed seems to have the opposite effect on those who harm themselves for… gratifying purposes…”

“So now we need a way get all of this out of her system, and I figured something that gave control over her pain to a partner would be safest,” Monika couldn’t help but notice that Yuri’s breath had become a little heavier as Natsuki explained her reasoning.

Well, at least she knew the gothic woman was onboard with the idea.

“I mean, that all makes sense,” Monika replied, surprising even herself that she responded to this absurd situation like it was no big deal. “I just don’t understand why you need me to do it.”

“I… Yuri, could you give us the room for a minute?” The gothic woman was surprised by her girlfriend’s sudden request but, based on her swift exit, seemingly had no problems doing so. Natsuki, seemingly frustrated more with herself than the circumstances, whispered her explanation into Monika’s ear. “I’m… not comfortable doing it. I can’t hurt someone I care about, even if they ask me to. And Yuri hasn’t asked me to… because she knows that.”

The shorter girl’s predicament finally became clear to Monika once she took into account Natsuki’s painful history of abuse. Although she sympathized with the difficult (if odd) conundrum the couple found themselves in, that didn’t mean the emerald-eyed girl was wholly willing to play the role requested of her.

“L-listen Natsuki, I really want to help you guys, but I don’t think I can–” the moment she heard Monika’s statement turn towards the negatory, the pink-haired girl quickly spoke up.

“Monika, please, I’m begging you,” Natsuki said, actually dropping onto her knees. “Look, I don’t like the idea of you doing anything… lewd with Yuri any more than you seem to, but we’ve gotta do something! I… I’ve already stumbled upon her corpse once. I can’t do it again.”

It suddenly clicked in Monika’s mind why Natsuki was so forceful when she first requested this. When the former president tampered with Yuri’s code, it ultimately drove the gothic girl to stab herself in the heart. In an instant, guilt began to override Monika’s hesitation.

Although Natsuki’s tone was now more panicked and desperate, it was obvious a part of her blamed Monika for opening the floodgate of her girlfriend’s dark desires. Which was appropriate, given that the emerald-eyed girl also blamed herself.

“…Okay, I’ll do it,” Monika finally caved.

“Oh thank god,” Natsuki breathed a sigh of relief, although it was clear by her visage that she was still somewhat uncomfortable with the whole scenario.

The two girls both stood back up, and made their way towards the exit. Upon opening the door, they found Yuri leaning against a wall and running her fingers through her hair. Natsuki gave her girlfriend a confirming nod, causing the gothic woman to breathe in with a mix of trepidation and excitement.

Although the lounge was conveniently located next to the kitchen, it was inconveniently located a fair ways away from their rooms. The three made their long, awkward trek back to their domiciles, all while the blushes on their faces said what their mouths refused to.

The trio eventually arrived just outside Yuri’s room, and it took a collective moment for anyone to have the courage to speak up.

“W-well… after you,” Yuri said, allowing Monika to enter first.

The emerald-eyed girl and the gothic woman each made their way inside the room, yet Natsuki remained outside.

“Aren’t you going to watch?” Monika asked, having expected the mistrustful girl to want to keep an eye on the woman who ultimately caused this problem in the first place.

“Yeah… I don’t think I can handle watching you hit my girlfriend without having a panic attack,” Natsuki confessed. “I’ll be in my room if you guys need me.”

While hesitant, the pair decided they were satisfied with Natsuki’s reasoning and closed the door behind them. Natsuki let out another sigh upon hearing the gateway shut, and began to head for her own bedroom.

However, just before she crossed the threshold into her domicile, she stopped. Although the pink-haired girl knew she didn’t want to hear what was happening to her paramour, a mix of curiosity and concern drove her back towards Yuri’s room.

Natsuki gently placed her ear against the door, waiting for the inevitable. After what felt like an eternity, the pink-haired girl heard an audible “smack” that caused her to flinch as if she’d been the one struck.

Natsuki steadied her breathing, reminding herself that what was going on was entirely consensual and that no one was actually getting hurt. However, as the second “smack” became audible, Natsuki noticed that there was very little power behind these noises.

A third and even weaker “smack” occurred, and another didn’t follow it. Natsuki held her breath, limiting any extra noise so she could better listen in. The petite girl could just make out what sounded like whispers, though she couldn’t decipher their meaning. Upon finally exhaling, Natsuki’s mind was left with one question:

What the hell could they possibly be talking about?

* * *

After wandering around for a little while, Sayori and Darwin eventually found a wooden bench to rest their weary frames on.

“Ooph, thank god. My feet were killing me,” the club president whined as she sat down, removing her shoes just enough to relieve the pressure.

The spot they’d chosen to unwind wasn’t perfect. The wooden material was coarse and it clearly hadn’t been maintained in a while, meaning the pair had to be careful to avoid splinters. The nearby flora was practically surrounding the bench, making it seem as if nature was trying to take back what was once its own. Not to mention that it provided no reprieve from the scorching sun beating down upon them.

Still, beggars can’t be choosers, and they were grateful for any opportunity to regain their strength.

“Hey, this was a really good choice for our ‘date’ by the way. I really like flowers,” Sayori graciously said to Darwin, before her gaze turned suspicious. “…Was that on purpose? How’d you know?”

“Well, I didn’t program it into you or anything,” Darwin explained, squinting to protect his eyes from the harsh sunlight. “It was one of the words that you liked from the poem minigame, so I just assumed the simulator probably instilled you with that preference.”

“Heh… y’know, sometimes it feels like you know us better than we could ever know you,” Sayori thought out loud. “Like, the point of these outings is for us to learn about each other. Yet you’ve either memorized or designed every detail about my life. Meanwhile, you always seem so hesitant to talk about yourself.”

“Well, part of it’s just because there’s a lot to cover. Keep in mind, one of the few things older than me is mankind’s discovery of fire,” Darwin casually dropped, referencing something Sayori said to him yesterday. “Plus, my memories can be kinda unreliable, so I don’t… Do you see that?”

Sayori craned her head to try and spy what the immortal had spotted, but she didn’t see anything particularly out of the ordinary. Darwin’s visage, however, clearly conveyed that he was trying to remain calm despite the fact that something was definitely wrong.

“Um… what am I looking for?” Sayori asked, concerned that their current outing might end up just as dangerous as the previous one.

“Tall figure, black cloak?” Darwin queried, to which the coral-haired girl shook her head no. “Then he’s using powers to make himself imperceptible to you… but why is he still letting me see him?”

The immortal rose from the bench before tossing his car keys to Sayori.

“Welp, he hasn’t attack anyone yet, so I’m going to try and talk to him,” Darwin explained. “If I… vanish, or anything else like that, don’t look for me. Run back to the van and return to the bunker. Then, y’know, research the threat and then come rescue me.”

“Ah, so the ‘Abysmal Procedure’ then,” Sayori sardonically replied as she looked over the keys. “Wait, why would you–”

Before Sayori could ask why Darwin was rushing headfirst into danger, the brown-eyed boy had already begun the trek towards his target. The blue-eyed girl shifted to where Darwin had been sitting in order to get a better view of… whatever he was doing. The immortal stopped a decent distance away from where they were resting, and seemed to be conversing with some unseen entity.

“Frustrating, isn’t it?” Where Sayori was originally sitting was a woman with violet hair, who’d somehow taken a seat without the blue-eyed girl even noticing.

This mysterious stranger didn’t look much older than the person she shared the bench with, maybe late twenties or early thirties. Her hazel eyes, however, had the same tired look that Darwin’s were often sporting. She was also dressed somewhat oddly; she wore a crimson business suit and pants, despite how hot it was outside.

“Stubborn people always think that they have to take every risk by themselves; doesn’t help if they know they can’t die,” the woman continued as she crossed on leg over the other. “Of course, I can’t pretend I’m any better.”

“Who- who are you?” Sayori asked; her body primed to run at even the slightest hint of danger. Given everything she’d seen in such a short time frame, she was immediately less trusting of this unusual character.

“Relax, I’m not here to hurt you,” the woman explained as she peered over Sayori. The club president turned around as well, noticing that the immortal seemed to be arguing with whatever entity was in front of him. “I think we could use a little more privacy.”

The woman pointed her finger towards Darwin and flicked her wrist to the right. The immortal reacted with surprise, before sprinting in the same direction.

“Much better,” the stranger stated as a cold sweat spread across Sayori’s body. She was on her own. The coral-haired girl turned back towards her guest, whose tired eyes now contained a hint of excitement. “The name’s Ace; therapist, empath, and illusionist… among other things.”

“W-what do you want from me?” Sayori asked as she readied the keys in her hand like a dagger.

“Hey, just calm down. I said I’m not here to hurt you,” Ace quickly responded as she moved an inch back. “Your fear’s so loud it’s giving me a headache. I’m actually here to help you.”

“Help me? You don’t even know who I am,” Sayori replied, somewhat unconvinced that the person before even her even needed powers to read her emotions. After all, it wouldn’t have taken a genius to see that the petite girl was scared.

“True, I don’t know your name or your story, but I know enough to realize you don’t belong in this world,” the club president’s blood ran cold after this comment. Was she being threatened? “Granted, it’s hard to not notice four new souls suddenly popping into existence, especially if they’re hanging out with a infamously reclusive immortal.”

Ace blinked, and her eyes instantaneously changed from hazel to pitch black. Not just the irises, each eyeball was as dark as the deepest part of the ocean. The terrifying woman licked her teeth and, with her tongue passing over each bone, the denticles transformed into sharp fangs.

Sayori’s mouth dried up from fear, while her body became paralyzed with terror. Yet, as quick as this horror began, it swiftly came to an end. Upon closing her mouth and blinking once more, Ace’s features returned to normal. At least, Sayori assumed her human visage was the “normal” one.

“Sorry for frightening you further, but I wanted to be transparent about what I am,” Ace explained while rummaging through her pockets, despite the fact that she’d only left Sayori with more questions than she had when the conversation began. “After all, honesty is a crucial quality for both a woman in my line of work and her clients to have.”

The woman handed Sayori a small black business card, on which only Ace’s name and a phone number was printed.

“W-wait, what do you mean by ‘clients?’ What the hell are you?!” Sayori replied after looking over the information on the little piece of laminated paper.

At this point, Sayori was starting to get more frustrated with the entity beside her. Although the blue-eyed girl had been so scared of her guest mere moments ago, the fact that Ace clearly had no understanding of social cues, yet still spoke with such confidence, actually put her at ease.

The demon reminded Sayori of a certain scatterbrained immortal, though she somehow felt like this connection went deeper than their similar natures. She just couldn’t place why.

“I already told you, I’m a therapist!” Ace obliviously responded before she actually understood Sayori’s question. “Oh, you meant– um, well, I’m a… demon, I guess is the nicest way to put it.”

Sayori wasn’t sure if she was stunned by the fact that Ace had just casually revealed that she was an agent of darkness (and she definitely had some questions about what the religious connotations of this were) or that the stranger seemed more embarrassed about this detail than anything else.

However, before Sayori could get in another question, the demon cut the coral-haired girl off by suddenly sliding closer to her.

“Anyways, enough about me. Let’s talk about you!” Ace said, her nervous smile telling Sayori that she was desperately trying to change the subject. “So, how are we feeling today?”

“I… I’m fine,” the exasperated Sayori replied, deciding that it was better to roll with the punches right now. As much as she hated to acknowledge it, this whole scenario wasn’t the strangest encounter the club president’s had since coming to this world, even if this demon didn’t seem to recognize her own cluelessness when it came to conversing like a normal human being. “Just a little bit nervous about this whole ‘date,’ I guess.”

“Aw, come on, what did I say about honesty? You know that’s not what’s wrong,” Ace knowingly commented, as her powerful gaze pierced Sayori’s soul. “Don’t try to deny it either, there’s little point lying to an empath.”

Upon realizing that she couldn’t hide her feelings from the demon, a familiar wave of sadness washed over the coral-haired girl. The frustrating conversation had provided a momentary distraction, but now the rainclouds within Sayori’s mind were returning in full force.

“Alright, you got me,” the club president admitted as she let out a weary sigh. “I’m having a pretty bad day. Not cause anything’s actually wrong, I just…”

“Feel tired and isolated?” Ace finished Sayori’s sentence once the blue-eyed girl trailed off. “To make matters worse, you feel guilty for feeling shitty, especially when you think you’re somehow letting the people you care about down. Everything just seems so bleak and… hopeless.”

The look on the demon’s face made it seem like she wasn't just referring to her client. Sayori might’ve assumed this was just her mental health expertise speaking; yet the look on Ace’s face told the blue-eyed girl that her feelings were coming from a much darker place.

“…Anyways, I obviously don’t have to tell you how tough it can be to live with depression,” the demon quickly shook her head, knocking herself out of her stupor, and turned her visage back towards Sayori. “I want to help you, and I think I might have an offer you’d be interested in. How would you like to go an entire day without your depression?”

Sayori sat stunned, totally taken back by the sudden offer. The girl blinked her blue-eyes, while her mind desperately tried to comprehend what had just been proposed. How is anyone supposed to react to a question like that?

“I... I don’t understand,” Sayori finally managed to reply. “What does ‘an entire day without my depression’ even mean?”

“Why, just that! My empathic powers allow me to… alter the emotions of others as well,” Ace explained, her hesitation putting the club president more than a little on edge. “You’re depressed, it sucks, and I can make you feel like everyone else… even if it is just for one day. So, what do you say? Do we have a deal?”

The demon extended her right hand towards Sayori, tempting the young girl with a tantalizing possibility.

On one hand, Sayori had literally just met the person making this offer. While the woman appears sincerely enthusiastic about wanting to help, the reasons for her altruism were still unknown. It doesn’t help either that Ace’s behavior has been more than a little erratic, and that she’s an actual, literal demon.

On the other hand, said demon seemed to be telling the truth about her empathic abilities, which means she could probably do what she’s proposing. Plus, Ace was upfront about her monstrous nature, so it’s not like she’s been dishonest thus far. It also didn’t help that Sayori still felt irrationally guilty about being depressed on her date with Darwin, so the offer was growing more tempting by the second.

Every logical part of Sayori’s mind was screaming that this was a terrible idea, yet she was so damn tired of being dragged down by her omnipresent sorrow.

The coral-haired girl pressed her index fingers together, with far more unease than typical, as she racked her brain for the right answer to this conundrum. Suddenly, a small smile crept across Sayori’s face, causing Ace to raise an eyebrow in confusion.

“Thanks… but I’m okay,” the club president replied, stunning the demon even further. “Obviously that’s a very tempting offer, but I’d hate to go a day without my depression and then, upon having it back, discover that I can’t live with it anymore. It’s not easy, but I’ve still been managing it for over eighteen years as best I can. I think I’ll be fine for a little while longer.”

Ace lowered her hand, while the right corner of her mouth rose to form a smirk.

“Y’know, there are never any ‘right’ answers to my deals, but that was a pretty good one,” the demon said as she stood up from the bench, while placing a pair of sunglasses over her eyes. “I’m glad to hear you’ve got a decent handle on everything. Still, if you ever need someone to talk to, I’m just a phone call away. Be seeing you.”

With that, Ace began her stroll away from the odd encounter. Sayori continued to sport a bittersweet smile, confident that she’d made the right choice, even if it wasn’t an easy one.

Then, just as the club president spotted Darwin walking back towards her, the gears inside her head clicked into place. Just like that, Sayori immediately understood why her mind was certain there was a link between the immortal and the demon.

Within one of the pictures in Darwin’s room was the exact same woman with the violet hair.

Sayori turned back towards Ace, but the demon had already disappeared.

“Sorry about that, turned out to be an illusion,” Darwin said, oddly nonchalantly. His calm demeanor changed, however, upon spotting how frantic Sayori looked. “Hey, what’s up? Did something happen?”

“I… I think I just met a friend of yours,” Sayori replied, clearly catching Darwin way off-guard. “She said her name was Ace?”

“O-oh… I haven’t heard from her in a while,” Darwin meekly replied, now looking more shocked than concerned. “Did… did she offer you anything? Did you make a deal with her?”

“No… but I think she’s my therapist now?” Sayori responded, as she twirled the black card between her fingers. “Do you… think that’s a bad thing?”

“…N-no, she’s pretty good at her job,” Darwin eventually said, seemingly more accepting of what’d occurred. “She pretty nice too, especially for a succubus.”

“Oh, well that’s good to kn–” Sayori stopped, the immortal’s casual reveal of information having taken her by surprise. “Wait, she's a what?!” 

* * *

 

“Yuri, I’m sorry… but I can’t do this.”

Monika’s words were undoubtedly disappointing, though Yuri was grateful for a reason to stop lying across her friend’s lap.

After the gothic woman took a seat on the bed next to the former club president, both girls sat in silence; each desperately trying to find a way to address the awkward scene that just took place.

A bright blush had spread across Yuri’s face, conveying both her embarrassment regarding their failed attempt at pain play and her shame over needing it. All the while, the same burning desire continued to demand that she feed her hungry curiosities.

Monika’s visage had taken on its own crimson hue, though hers seemed to be a mix of humiliation and guilt. Putting aside her own feelings, Yuri decided her priority needed to be helping her friend.

“Monika, please don’t be upset,” Yuri place a hand against her fellow club member’s back; who seemed to be even more disappointed than the gothic woman was. “As nice as it was for you to try and help me with my… proclivities, it was unfair of Natsuki and I to even ask this of you. I see that now. I’m terribly sorry.”

“…You have nothing to apologize for,” Monika replied as she straightened the skirt Yuri had been atop of but a moment ago, while frustration and regret lingered within her voice. “I just, after everything I did you and Natsuki, this seemed like the least I could do. Especially considering that this all my fault anyways.”

The emerald-eyed girl’s last statement caused Yuri to pause, her mind absolutely puzzled by whatever Monika could’ve meant by that. After taking into account all the former club president had confessed to her over the past few days, her crushing guilt and all the ways in which she’d failed her friends, it dawned on the gothic woman why Monika felt so awful. And, although she felt terrible about it, it almost made Yuri laugh.

“You don’t think it’s you’re the reason why I am… the way that I am, do you?” The brown-haired girl turned to her friend with a look that showed how obvious the answer to that question was for her. This only made Yuri’s amused greater and her bittersweet smile grow wider. “Monika, just as Sayori’s depression has always been a part of her life, this… fetish – to put it bluntly – has always been a part of mine. Your manipulation of my character file might have amplified it, but I’ve been living with it my entire life.”

“N-no, I mean, I know that,” Monika quickly replied; although the hesitation that caught her words made Yuri doubt their authenticity. “I guess I just feel bad that it’s out in the open now. Natsuki, and the others, would never have known if not for me.”

“Well, if we’re going down that avenue, then it could be argued Natsuki and I would never had started dating if not for the events that lead to us coming to the real world. Which you set in motion, I might add,” the look in Monika’s eyes told Yuri she’d conceded the point, though she didn’t seem to fully accept it. “And even if we disregard that, it’s not like I could’ve kept it a secret from my girlfriend forever. After all, I’ve known it’s how dangerous it was for years and managed to keep myself from going too far by… indulging these desires in a manner I could keep secret. I suppose that isn’t really an option anymore…”

Yuri trailed off; seemingly resistant to following this line of thought any further. Monika, however, couldn’t stop thinking about her friend’s difficult and bizarre situation.

“Y’know, you and I are actually a lot alike,” the gothic woman raised a quizzical eyebrow; uncertain whether or not Monika’s comment should be taken as an insult. “We’re both very… obsessive people, and we each have destructive tendencies that stem from that. My problem is that I turn said tendencies outward and hurt those around me, while you turn yours inward and harm yourself.”

“…Well, I think there’s certainly an element of truth to that,” Yuri replied after a moment of contemplation. “Though I mostly think it’s just, ah… erotic.”

“Hey, I’m not arguing it isn’t,” Monika said with a chuckle, somehow finding humor in the odd circumstances. “But, during Act 2 for instance, wouldn’t you say your habits got worse the more obsessed you became with Edward?”

Yuri’s expression clearly told Monika that the point had been conceded, as the events of her past definitely indicated that Yuri’s “bad habits” are somehow linked to strong emotions.

Now, neither girl is a psychologist, so they couldn’t accept this claim with any amount of certainty. Still, it’s not like they could completely rule it out either, given that they’re both products of coding that was deliberately designed to be abnormal.

“So, I guess the question is, what’s got you so worked up today?” Monika asked, causing Yuri to let out a heavy sigh.

“I just… it’s terrible, but I’m jealous of Natsuki,” the gothic woman covered her face in shame, but then felt the comforting presence of a hand on her shoulder. As Yuri worked up the courage to continue, she at least knew this was a safe place to talk. “I’m so, so proud of her for becoming the vice president of the Literature Club. She absolutely deserves it… I just can’t help but think that I… also deserve it? I know it’s stupid…”

“Actually, I kinda get it,” Monika replied in a low voice, just in case a certain pink-haired tsundere was listening in. “Natsuki definitely has fantastic leadership qualities, that’s why I nominated her, but she isn’t exactly the… greatest appreciator of literature.”

“Exactly!” Yuri almost shouted at Monika, catching the former president by surprise. Composing herself, the gothic woman expanded upon her exclamation. “As insignificant as it is, the Literature Club is one of the few ‘normal’ things we have in our lives these days. It’s also really important to me, and I guess I got… obsessed by the fear that it could change.”

Monika nodded her head in understanding, as Yuri let out a relieved sigh. Then, both girls couldn’t help but lightly chuckle at the ridiculousness of both their new lives and the unusual circumstances caused by their old ones.

“…I can’t stop thinking about when I died,” Yuri suddenly stated after their laughter had petered out, causing Monika’s heart to skip a guilty beat. “I keep remembering when I plunged the knife into my chest, that exhilarating moment of pain…”

The gothic woman drew in a deep breath through her nose, trying to control the intense feelings caused by this recollection. Monika leaned forward, fully intending to apologize for the role she played in her friend’s demise, before the purple-haired girl continued her speech.

“But I don’t want to hurt Natsuki. God almighty, I can’t do anything that might harm her,” Yuri confessed, wiping the tears forming on the cusp of her eyelids. “Damn it, why am I like this?”

“Hey, you only need to be like you. Natsuki already likes that person,” Monika reassured her fellow club member, to which Yuri returned a grateful smile. “Listen, I can’t pretend I have the magic bullet to all your problems, but I think that just being honest to Natsuki about them is going to do you a world of good.”

“Heh, you’re wise beyond your years Monika,” the gothic woman graciously replied, enveloping the former club president in a soft embrace. “…Which, given that the game came out less than a year ago, is quite the accomplishment!”

Breaking from the hug, the two friends shared a moment of pure, joyful laughter; unburdened by the pressure of their unusual circumstances.

It can be difficult to remember that, despite the many trials each girl had overcome, at their core they were still high school students. Considering everything they’ve been through, and all the heartache yet to come, the fact that they were able to find reasons to crack up was a small miracle in and of itself.

“…So, should we talk to Natsuki now?” Monika asked once they’d calmed down. The purple-eyed girl took a moment to ponder, before nodding her head in affirmation.

“I believe so. Plus, it’d probably be best to let her know nothing happened between us,” Yuri responded as she rose from the bed.

Following her friend’s lead, Monika walked with Yuri towards the door on the other side of the room. As the gothic woman reached for the doorknob, she looked back at Monika. The emerald-eyed girl gave her an assured nod, granting Yuri the confidence needed to open the door.

Upon doing so, however, the gothic woman found that the gateway was barred by a large (and rather profane) doorstop.

“Ow, son of a bitch!” Natsuki exclaimed as she tumbled away from the door. Before Yuri could even apologize or ask her girlfriend if she was okay, the pink-haired vice president quickly went on the defensive. “I-I swear I wasn’t eavesdropping! I was just… y’know…”

“Trying to eavesdrop?” Monika asked as she offered Natsuki a hand.

“Har har,” Natsuki responded as she grasped the emerald-eyed girl’s palm. “I had no idea our resident murderer had a sense of humor.”

“…I know it’d be unfair to expect you to let that go… but are you ever going to let that go?” Monika replied after a sigh, to which Natsuki shook her head no as a toothy grin spread across her face.

“So, anyways… what are you guys talking about?” Natsuki eventually managed to ask, her smile changing into a slightly concerned frown.

Readying herself, Yuri took one last look at Monika. Receiving two thumbs up, the gothic woman took a deep breath before beginning what might be a long conversation.

“Natsuki… we need to talk about literature.”

* * *

As Sayori and Darwin strolled down the familiar concrete hallways of the bunker, each had time to reflect on today’s events.

For the club president, she’d been left with too many questions and not enough answers. Why would a succubus reach out to her, and why now? Was Ace’s offer of help sincere, or did she want something more?

Sayori could feel the demon’s business card against her fingers, and the uncertainty of what it promised felt like an anchor weighing her down.

Darwin was wracked with his own multitude of queries. Why did Ace reach out to Sayori, and only Sayori? Why didn’t she want to be seen by Darwin? The biggest question of all though, given what the immortal knew about the state of her homeland, was how did she manage to return to the mortal plane?

Granted, these _were_ the questions holding Darwin’s mind hostage, until he started thinking about what hellhounds must look like as puppies. His train of thought pretty much stayed in that station for the rest of their walk.

The pair’s stupor was disrupted upon seeing the remainder of the Literature Club lingering outside their rooms. Natsuki and Yuri were holding each other; they each looked like they’d been crying, though whatever the cause was had clearly passed.

Upon noticing the returning club members, the couple broke from their embrace and eagerly welcomed their return.

“What goes on here?” Darwin asked as Natsuki and Yuri wiped the tears from their faces, their joyful smiles a mismatch for the redness of their eyes.

“Hey, Sayori, I’m glad you’re here,” Natsuki said, glossing over the immortal’s question. “As vice president of the Literature Club, I formally request that Yuri be named my ‘co-vice president!’”

“Um, okay… why?” The stunned Sayori questioned, the pink-haired girl’s demand having caught her already busy mind off-guard.

“It’s quite simple really. See, Yuri and I are a team,” Natsuki explained, causing her girlfriend to blush. “I might have the backbone needed for a leadership role but, when it comes books and stuff, no one’s smarter than her! So, if we want the club to be the best it can be, I need her by my side.”

“Hmm… well, she has been the VP in the past…” Sayori pondered, tapping her index finger against her chin while the couple waited with baited breath. “Alright Yuri, by the authority vested in me… by me, I hereby grant you the title of co-vice president!”

Natsuki raised her hand, expecting to receive a high-five from her girlfriend, but was instead greeted by a sudden kiss on the lips. Sayori and Darwin, even though they lacked the context to fully understand what was occurring, were happy for the couple all the same.

“…So, seems like you guys had an interesting day,” Darwin stated once Yuri had finally broken away from Natsuki and managed to compose herself.

“For sure,” Natuski replied, her face having turned beet red due to Yuri’s sudden affection. “I asked Monika to spank my girlfriend today.”

“Kinky,” Sayori replied; her voice containing the same tone and level of emotion that one might have while commenting on the quality of moderate weather. “I met a demon therapist that kills people by having sex with them.”

“…Okay, your day was officially the weirder one,” Monika stated, the trio who spent the day in the bunker each responding to Sayori’s statement with wide-eyed surprise.

“Yet why does it still feel like you guys did instead?” Darwin muttered mostly to himself before sighing. “These aren’t the kind of misadventures friends on TV sitcoms get into…”

“Say…” Natsuki replied, a cheeky grin forming. “If Yuri’s now the co-VP, don’t we need to find a position for Monika?”

“Wait, I don’t get a new title?” Darwin asked, more from confusion about the rules than annoyance.

“You’ve only been a club member for, like, two days. Calm your tits,” the pink-haired girl responded, her bluntness being more amusing to the immortal than anything else.

“Well, I supposed so Natsuki! What do you suggest?” Sayori replied; deferring to the pink-haired girl’s leadership despite the fact that she was the one actually in-charge of the club.

“Well, we still need a club mascot…” Natsuki offered, her smile taking on a more devilish quality.

“Oh ha-ha. Never gonna happen!” Monika exclaimed, the emerald-eyed girl remaining unaware that she was technically the mascot for the original game.

As the pink-haired tsundere continued to tease the former club president, Darwin couldn’t help but consider Natsuki’s contradictory nature.

She hates conflict, but is definitely the biggest troublemaker. She’s arguably the most responsible member of the group, yet also very immature. She’s probably one of the most considerate people he’s ever met, and she’s still often cruel and difficult to get along with.

And this was the girl he’d be spending most of tomorrow with.

* * *

 

Ever hear the old saying “you don’t know what you have until it’s gone?” Well, for Speed Demon, he was really starting to appreciate how true that philosophy can be.

When the immortal had imprisoned him, there was at least modicum of comfort. The room was large enough to move around in, a monitor had been provided for entertainment and educational purposes, and the bed had been specifically designed to withstand the extreme temperatures of his physiology.

Whoever had designed his new cell, which wasn’t much larger than a coffin, hadn’t been nearly as considerate.

In his reinforced glass container, Speed Demon didn’t even have enough space to sit down, forced to spend the past few days of isolation standing in place. All around the monster was a seemingly endless multitude of other, varyingly sized chambers, each awaiting future occupants. For now, Speed Demon was the only prisoner of APART.

With no one to speak to (or antagonize), and little else to occupy his time, the creature obsessed with movement managed to hold onto what little sanity he had by planning his escape.

Underneath the monster’s feet was a complex conveyor system, designed to move prisoners from one part of the facility to another. Speed Demon had already seen it in action, as it’d been used to move him from his current domicile to a laboratory, where a collection of scientists studied and prodded him like an animal.

If he could just figure out how to active this system, the desperate monster was certain he’d find a way to leave this wretched place behind; as well as continue his quest for revenge against the immortal who put him here.

That night, as if it’d read his mind, the mechanized workings of the system roared to life. Speed Demon’s prison sank into the ground, the light disappearing as a panel closed above him.

With only the sound of the mechanical innards of the facility and the limited illumination provided by his body to guide him, the monster was effectively blind. However, even without his sight, Speed Demon could tell when the glass box didn’t turn right towards the laboratory, but instead left to parts unknown.

“Hey, what’s the big idea!?” The monster cried out, more for his own comfort than anything else. “Where the hell are you bastards taking me?”

Yet no one answered. The beast’s journey continued for what felt like an eternity; the ever-present hum of the conveyor system almost lulling him to sleep.

Then, in an instant, a sudden light blinded Speed Demon, causing him to tumble out of his container. The creature practically willed his eyes to adjust to the newfound brightness, desperately readying himself for whatever sick experiment APART had cooked up next.

Yet, the monster didn’t find himself in a lab being torn asunder by curious scientist and generals looking for their latest weapon. Instead, he stood in a metal room, about the size of his old cell, with his new one sinking back into the floor. Once the glass obstruction had moved away, Speed Demon could spy a single solitary figure sitting in the shadows.

“And who the hell are you?” The monster asked, preparing himself for a fight.

“…What good is a name?” The man eventually responded, catching Speed Demon off-guard. “There was a time when you called yourself by a mortal moniker. It has been lost to you and yet, in the end, it means nothing. You soldier on, one of over five thousand beings who cheated death… all without a name. That makes you… powerful, in my eyes.”

Just as the man uttered his final words, a blue vapor began to exude from a vent in the ceiling. As the orange hue of his molten blood faded away and his body began to lock up, Speed Demon knew exactly what he’d been exposed to: Chalcanthite, his weakness, in a gaseous form.

As the figure rose from the darkness, the informal attire telling the monster his new captor wasn’t with APART, the man’s charcoal black hair became visible as he strode into the light. The gas mask upon his face also made it plain that he wasn’t another prisoner, and whatever’s happening was part of his plan.

“In the end, you don’t need to know my name,” the masked man said as he leaned in closer to the petrified creature. “You just need to know that I own you now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this was a bitch and a half to finish.
> 
> I'm terribly sorry for how long it took me to put out this chapter everyone. This program is really intense and doesn't allow me a lot of free time. Hopefully, things will pick up again after the summer, but it'll probably still be a while before the next chapter is ready. Thank you so much for your patience!


	9. NATSUKI'S DATE: People Can Try (Harder)

There was a phrase Natsuki often heard when she was growing up; something her mother never seemed to tire of saying: “Even the most mundane of activities can be an adventure, so long as you have friends by your side.”

Of course, what her mother couldn’t have accounted for was that mundane situations could also be misadventures, depending on the quality of said friends.

“For the last time Darwin, we don’t need cake mix! That shit’s for amateurs!” Natsuki berated her companion, as he sheepishly put the box back on the shelf. “Now, grab me that bag of all-purpose flour. And I swear if you get that gluten-free shit I’ll punch you just on principle.”

It’d been several decades since Darwin last stepped foot inside a grocery store, and a number of things surprised him. Along with the far wider variety of products available than he’d been expecting, there were also these little boxes on the sides of most goods containing nutritional information.

What was even stranger to the immortal was the presence of self-checkout machines, which really shouldn’t have unnerved the man who invented automated cleaning robots as much as they did. It was little moments like these that reminded Darwin how long he’d been underground until this point.

The only familiar element was the buzz of the electric lights overhead, a background noise the residents of the bunker were all too used to. Yet even that was drowned out by the sound of annoying pop songs from the 90’s, occasionally blowing out the ceiling speakers whenever a high note was hit.

As he grabbed the correct box from the aisle’s top shelf, Darwin couldn’t help but notice the stares his friend’s tirade had drawn. Natsuki hadn’t seen the small crowds gathering at the ends of the passageway, which Darwin was grateful for, as he didn’t want to witness the tsundere shouting at strangers.

The growing number of onlookers didn’t know what to make of the twosome. Most of them were either assuming (or hoping) that they were a pair of siblings, where the little sister had dragged her older brother on a shopping trip.

The logical alternative, that they were actually dating, was too creepy to fully consider given how young the tiny Natsuki looked. The fact that the pink-haired girl seemed to be almost verbally abusing the brown-eyed boy only made the uncomfortable situation all the more bizarre.

“So, be honest, did you only want me along so I could reach the tall shelves?” Darwin asked as he dropped the box into the grocery cart, keeping his voice just low enough that the people nearby couldn’t hear him. “When you asked to choose the location of our ‘date,’ I figured you’d pick something a little more fun than this.”

“Are you good for anything other than reaching high places?” Natsuki semi-sardonically shot back, clearly unhappy that she was stuck with the immortal for the rest of the day. Truth be told, if her other friends hadn’t been so onboard to spend time with Darwin one-on-one, she probably wouldn’t be doing this. “Besides, there’s no date I’d want to have with you that I wouldn’t rather save for my girlfriend.”

Darwin gave a soft, annoyed sigh as he watched the eyes of their onlookers’ grow wider, likely reacting to the implications of Natsuki’s statement.

“Fair enough, I guess there’s little we could do together that we’d both find enjoyable,” the immortal replied with a wry smirk, to which Natsuki’s eyes squinted with suspicion. “I mean, for instance, it’s not like I could take you to an amusement park. Based on my reason for being here, you probably couldn’t go on most of the rides any–”

Before Darwin could finish his good-natured ribbing, Natsuki slammed the metal grocery cart in front of her forcefully into his legs.

“Ow! Son of a bitch!” Darwin cursed as he collapsed backwards onto the floor. “God damn it; I can’t very well reach the tallest shelves if you break my freaking shins!”

“Hey, serves you right for being an ass,” Natsuki replied as Darwin shakily stood back up. “Anyways, I think we have everything I need to prove you wrong, so we can go now.”

Once Natuski turned the cart around, she spied the crowd of onlookers staring at her, who each recoiled slightly once they realized they’d been discovered.

“What the hell are you all looking at?” The pink-haired girl asked as the horde immediately dispersed, trying and failing to act like they hadn’t been observing her.

“That felt unnecessary,” Darwin muttered as the pair made their way towards the checkout counter. “Speaking of unnecessary things, you literally can’t prove me wrong about this. We’re talking about a subjective–”

“Screw that noise,” Natsuki interrupted as she began placing her goods on the conveyer belt leading towards the store clerk. “I’m going to show you and the rest of the Literature Club that anything your cooking machines whip up can’t compare to something actually made by hand.”

            “Fine, fine, today’s your day. If this is what you want to do, we’ll do it,” Darwin conceded, even though he could help but roll his eyes at her determination over such a trivial matter. “Besides, it’s not like this was a waste of an afternoon. I haven’t actually gone shopping in a long time, so it was kinda interesting to see what’s changed.”

“…Y-yeah, I haven’t been in a while either,” Natsuki mumbled as she struggled to remember the last time she’d been to a store with her mother.

“…Your total’s thirty-nine dollars and fifty-four cents. Cash or credit?” The exhausted-looking clerk asked, snapping Natsuki out of her stupor.

“Oh, shit, right. Darwin, pay the lady–” when Natsuki turned to where the immortal should’ve been, she instead found the cart of the next customer in line. “What the– Darwin, where are you?!”

“Natsuki! Help! I got distracted and now I don’t know where I am! I’m surrounded by cereal!” The immortal words emanated from one of the nearby aisles, though Natsuki couldn’t pinpoint which one just by looking. “Keep talking, I’ll try to follow the sound of your voice!”

“H-how– Are you fucking four?! It’s a straight line! How did you get lost?!” Natsuki screamed back, unconcerned how uncomfortable this scene was making anyone else within earshot.

The pink-haired girl rubbed her temples, her frustration rising at a pace almost equal to that of the other customers lining up behind her. Releasing an annoyed sigh, the co-vice president of the Literature Club tried to remind herself that this absurdity was just a part of her new life. Her rage finally began to subside when she told herself that, despite all its flaws, this world and its people were at least better than those she had to deal with in her own.

Unfortunately, Natsuki’s sense of serenity was robbed from her once the unassuming store clerk asked a question that returned the pink-haired girl’s white-hot rage.

"Um… miss, is your boyfriend coming back to pay for all this or what?” 

* * *

 

Sayori’s small body sank heavily into one of the many small bean bag chairs scattered around the lounge, as she twirled the small black card between her fingers.

Ever since meeting the demonic Ace, the president of the Literature Club has felt an ever-present sense of discomfort. Learning that her new “therapist” was an old friend of Darwin’s should’ve put her at ease, yet the uncertain circumstances as to why they weren’t on speaking terms continued to scratch at the back of Sayori’s mind.

Even though she was feeling better than she did yesterday, the coral-haired girl’s depression was still bringing her down. She really wanted to talk to someone about it, yet it didn’t feel right to bother one of her other friends.

Right now Yuri was hanging out in her room, tearing her way through one horror novel after another. Meanwhile, Monika was off doing… whatever Monika does. And, of course, Natsuki and Darwin were on their “date” today. Whatever the case, she was certain they were all too busy for her to trouble them.

In Sayori’s free hand sat the new phone Darwin had created for her, one of four he printed for the rest of the Literature Club. The blue-eyed girl knew that someone who seemingly wanted to help her was just a call away. Yet, ringing up a demon didn’t exactly feel like the smart thing to do either. _After all, therapy typically isn’t free, and Ace never said what the price would be._

As that last thought entered Sayori’s brain, she decided there wasn’t any harm in asking about the cost. Dialing the number into her phone, she finally pressed the call button after a long moment of hesitation.

Placing the device next to her ear, Sayori was surprised to hear the line ring once before it seemingly went dead. The club president was just about to hang up when a deep, menacing voice began to growl through the receiver.

“Who dares to call of the office of the great mistress?!” The deep voice, as well as the vitriol behind it, caught Sayori so off-guard she nearly dropped her phone. “Answer or be destroyed!”

“U-uh, m-my name’s–” the coral-haired girl could barely get the words out before the terrifying speaker cut her off.

“Speak up, pathetic mortal! I cannot hear you over the screams of the damned!” Although it was barely audible, Sayori did start to notice what sounded like agonized wailing in the background. The blue-eyed girl was now certain this call had been a bad idea, but fear of upsetting the monster further kept her on the line.

“M-my name’s Sayori and I’d like to speak to Ace, please!” The club president quickly shouted her request, her words spilling from her mouth so fast they were almost indistinguishable.

“…Cerberus’ bones! There’s no such name in our infernal records!” As the entity (presumably) cursed, it dawned on Sayori that she never actually told Ace who she was. “I shall ask my mistress about your request! Remain on the line, or I will feast on your entrails!”

After a click, calming harp music began to play through the speaker, indicating that the monster had left her on hold. The irony of the instrument choice wasn’t lost on Sayori.

The president of the Literature Club had almost been lulled to sleep by the soft melodic sounds when the terrifying receptionist’s voice suddenly returned.

“Are you the maiden whose hair shines with the colors of precious coral, who's burdened by a crushing sadness within her own heart?!”

“…Um, I think so?” Sayori uncertainly responded, her heartbeat having suddenly accelerated due to the unexpected (and loud) question.

“Then the mistress shall meet with you!” The monster growled, ending his sentence by what sounded like slamming a desk with his fist. Even though Sayori had only wanted to ask a simple question about cost, she was far too frightened at this point to try and interrupt him. “What time are you open to receiving her?! The mistress’ earliest availability is… right now!”

“S-sure, that sounds– wait, did you say ‘right now?’” Sayori responded, her terror immediately being overridden by confusion.

“Right now it is! The pact is sealed!” The monster bellowed before the line went dead.

Sayori looked up from her phone in stunned bewilderment, only for her eyes to meet with those of Ace, inexplicably sitting atop the edge of the couch. However, before the club president could ask how the demon was already in her domicile, her therapist’s unusual appearance halted her train of thought.

Ace was sporting a black nighty, the kind one might expect a femme fatale in an old noir film to wear. It wasn’t just her clothing that was off. Everything from the color and length of her hair to even her body type was different; not completely different, but enough that Sayori almost wasn’t certain who she was.

“Hey there Sayori, sorry about not getting your name yester–” Ace began before dismounting from the sofa, upon which her bare feet touched the carpeted floor. “…Crap, still in my other work uniform. One second.”

Ace began to run her hands over her body and somehow, the second her digits ceased touching her flesh, her appearance started returning to normal. Sayori’s mind had no idea how to explain to the poor, confused girl what she was witnessing. It was almost akin to watching someone wash off a thick layer of body paint, but in a way that defied the laws of physics.

Soon enough, Ace stood before Sayori in her normal crimson suit and pants, her look of refreshment humorously contrasting with the club president’s one of complete befuddlement.

“There, that’s better. A little more professional given the nature of this meeting, wouldn’t you say?” Ace asked, a cheeky smile spreading across her face. “Of course, I want you to be as comfortable as possible, so I could change back if that’d be more to your liking?”

“A-ah, no thanks! Your suit’s fine…” Sayori responded with a combination of blushing cheeks, index fingers pressing together, and exasperated eyes. “…I’m never going to get used to hanging around people like you, am I?”

“Honestly, given time, the weirdness starts to become mundane,” Ace replied; her face sported a kind smile. “So, what can I do you for? To be honest, I wasn’t expecting to hear back from you so soon. Is everything alright?”

Sayori briefly thought about coming up with an excuse, but then she remembered the futility of lying to an empath.

“Ah, well… truth is, I was wondering what the price was for your sessions, so I called to ask,” Sayori confessed as she pressed her fingers together more intensely. “Your receptionist is very… intimidating, so I accidentally ended up making this appointment. Heh, sorry for wasting your time…”

“Yeah, Bran does have a bad habit of dominating a conversation. You know how imps can be,” Ace replied with a chuckle, oblivious to the fact that there was no possible way Sayori would have any idea how imps could be. “And you didn’t waste anything. It’s a weekday, which usually aren't as busy for me.”

As the demon began to waltz around the room, a nostalgic look adorning her face as she took in the room, Sayori could help but noticed that she didn’t say anything about the price. Although the club president was a bit concerned by that, she ultimately felt too embarrassed over the whole situation to pester Ace further.

“Hey, is Darwin here right now?” Ace suddenly asked, catching the ponderous Sayori off-guard.

“O-oh, yes, he is. Though he and my friend Natsuki are having some kind of cooking contest right now,” Sayori answered. “Did you want to see him?”

“Nah, not right now,” the demon quickly stated, offering the still sitting girl a hand. “Hey, while he’s distracted, want to do something mischievous?”

“…Well, that depends on what you have in mind,” the club president hesitantly responded, taking hold of Ace’s palm as she was lifted onto her feet.

“Heh, it’s been a hot minute since I’ve been here, I wanna see what’s changed,” the succubus innocently claimed, before a sly smile spread across her face. “And maybe it’s the sex demon in me – or rather, the sex demon that is me – but I want to see if Darwin still keeps his dirty magazines in his sock drawer.”

Sayori’s concerned eyes took on an ecstatic hue as an excited gasp was drawn past her lips.

“I knew it!” 

* * *

 

“…Are you sure you don’t want any help?”

Darwin’s question was cautious, despite its innocuousness. Still, given the ego he’s dealing with, the immortal wouldn’t have asked his risky query if not for his overwhelming sense of boredom.

The kitchen space was far more colorful than the rest of Darwin’s home, if only for the fact that sterile white is more visually interesting than concrete gray. However, the various ingredients and cooking utensils Natsuki had strewn about the location definitely gave it a more appealing color palette, though the rapidly accumulating clutter did slightly bother the tidy immortal.

“I said I’m fine!” Natsuki replied while aggressively whisking a concoction of baking ingredients together. The fury in her voice was considerably less intense than before, which wasn’t saying much. “Don’t you have anything better to do besides pestering me?”

“Not really,” Darwin admitted while leaning against the countertop. “My cooking method takes way less time than yours.”

“Well, why are you even here then?” The pink-haired girl asked while accusingly pointing her whisk towards the immortal, as little droplets of cupcake batter fell onto the floor.

“I mean, the ‘competition’ aspect of all this made me think I should probably still be nearby,” Darwin said, while an annoyed part of him watched the mess accumulating near Natsuki’s feet.

“Pfft, whatever,” the co-vice president huffed as she resumed mixing her ingredients. However, as her right hand reached for something that wasn’t there, Natsuki realized an ingredient was missing. “Shit, I need a little bit of salt.”

Taking the hint, Darwin pointed towards a cabinet to his right, which was just out of Natsuki’s reach. The pink-haired girl tried her best to either stretch or hop her way towards the handle, but to no avail.

“Do want me to get it?” Darwin asked, to which his compatriot shot him an aggressive look.

“Hell no! It’s a competition, after all. And I already said I don’t need your help!” Before the immortal could answer that question, Natsuki had already begun climbing the countertop. “And don’t look up my skirt!”

Darwin rolled his eyes as he averted his gaze – even though there was no way he could’ve seen anything at his angle – while the tsundere planted her both feet on the marble surface. However, the design of the kitchen space made it impossible for Natsuki to stand without also having to hold onto the cabinet handles for leverage.

As the pink-haired girl’s footing hung precariously on the edge of the countertop, the immortal couldn’t help but notice the nervous look on her face.

“Hold on, this isn’t safe–” Natsuki turned her head as if to responded to Darwin’s concerns, but the swift movement caused the cabinet door to suddenly swing open.

Having lost her hold, the co-vice president started to teeter backwards. Instinctively, the immortal dashed forward to try and catch his friend before she hit the ground.

However, Darwin’s panicked mind overestimated the speed he’d need to reach Natsuki – which the slick floor didn’t help – causing the brown-eyed boy to soar past his friend before she’d even dropped. Her balance totally off, the pink-eyed girl fell from the countertop and landed safely (if still painfully) on her backside. Darwin, unable to stop himself, slipped on the puddle of cake batter and ran into the countertop; the right side of his hip hitting the surface with a sickening “crunch.”

“Ow, damn that hurt,” Natsuki mumbled as she managed to shakily get back on her feet. “What the hell kind of rescue attempt was that by the–”

The pink-haired girl’s frustrated glare turned into a concerned one upon seeing the immortal lying on the floor; his face twisted in agony while he clutched his side. Natsuki swiftly ran over to her injured friend, helping him sit up against the nearest cabinet.

“Jesus Christ man, are you okay?” Natsuki’s bedside manner left something to be desired, but Darwin was just glad to see she actually cared.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine,” Darwin said, technically telling the truth given how quickly he knew he’d recover from this. “The bones are already starting to knit back together.”

“That's… cool. Can you stand?” Natsuki asked, to which the immortal answered by grunting in pain when he tried. “That’s a ‘no’ then.”

“I just need a minute,” Darwin muttered, settling into his new resting place. To his surprise, Natsuki took a seat beside him. “You can keep cooking if you’d rather, I don’t want to keep you–”

“It’s a competition. It’d be cheating if I kept going while you can’t do anything,” the pink-haired girl interrupted, flashing a toothy grin. “Besides, it’s not like this part of the process is especially time sensitive.”

“Fair enough,” the immortal replied, taking his hands off his wounded side. “Heh, I bet cooking usually isn’t this hectic for you, huh?”

“…You’d be surprised,” Natsuki eventually said, her voice unnaturally quiet, as if she was afraid of being caught by something. “I baked a ton of stuff for the Literature Club back in the game, which was tricky given that my dad was… my dad. A lot of the time the best way to deal with him was just to not be seen when he came home, which was tricky if I was working on something in the kitchen. …Heh, so I’ve actually had to bake some things in quite a hurry before.”

Natsuki looked over at Darwin, who had this very focused look on his face. The pink-haired girl might’ve even called it strained, like he was trying incredibly hard to keep his scattered mind in this moment.

“So I guess ‘hectic’ wouldn’t be quite the right word… I don’t even know why I’m telling you all this,” Natsuki shook her head in frustration, a little surprised that the words cascading out of her mouth weren’t accompanied by tears.

Out of the corner of her eye, the pink-haired girl saw the brown-eyed boy extend his hand, offering her what support he could. Hesitantly, Natsuki placed her palm atop the immortal’s.

“Truth is, the last time cooking hasn’t been a stressful activity was when my mom was involved…” the pink-eyed girl’s words trailed off, as she gripped Darwin’s hand even tighter.

“What happened to her?” The immortal’s question caught Natsuki off-guard, causing her to shoot him a perplexed look.

“You don’t know?” The girl’s query snapped Darwin’s mind back into its usual disorganized mess, until he eventually figured out where the confusion was coming from.

“I programmed the memory of you having a mom. The game filled in the specifics,” the immortal’s answer caused a look of disappointment to spread across Natsuki’s face, making Darwin feel all the more guilty. “I figured I shouldn’t be responsible for the shapes your lives took, given what I already knew about them.”

“I wish you had,” the co-vice president bluntly replied, though the immortal could tell this statement wasn’t intended to hurt him. “I don’t remember what happened to my mom. I was really young and, one day, she just didn’t come home. My dad knows– knew what happened to her, but he never told me. I was kinda hoping you had the answer.”

“I’m sorry,” Darwin knew Natsuki wasn’t asking for an apology, yet he couldn’t help but see all the pain he’d caused her with every word she spoke.

“…Forget it. What about your parents?” The pink-eyed girl was as quick to change the subject as she was to wipe away the tear forming on the cusp of her right eyelid. “I presume they’re no longer with us either… unless they’re also immortal?”

“Probably not,” Darwin mumbled, causing Natsuki to raise a quizzical eyebrow. “I don’t know what happened to them either. The farther back I try to remember, the fuzzier my memories get. I’m certain I haven’t seen them in a long time, but I don’t know whether or not they’re… like me.”

The two sat in silence for a brief moment, each one contemplating the enigmas that could generously be called their pasts. Eventually, Natsuki gave a soft chuckle before rising back to her feet.

“Heh, aren’t we quite the pair?” The pink-eyed girl offered the immortal her hand, which Darwin accepted after a moment’s hesitation. “You okay to stand?”

The brown-eyed boy cautiously shifted his weight to the right side of his body, testing the strength of his injured hip.

“…It’s a little sore, but I’ll manage,” Darwin eventually replied. “Welp, I think it’s about time I got started on my own cupcakes.”

Darwin handed Natsuki the salt from the top shelf; who took it without an indignant comment.

"Thanks man,” the co-vice president said as she carefully poured the substance into a nearby half-teaspoon. “Hey, good luck with the baking and stuff. I’m looking forward to seeing how they taste.”

“Really? No smarmy comment about how my method is obviously the inferior one?” Darwin cheekily replied while punching in a sequence in the automated oven, to which Natsuki gave another soft chuckle.

“Don’t get used to Nice-suki, I just don’t really feel like giving you a hard time right now,” the pink-haired girl gave a small shrug as she dumped the salt into the mixture, followed by slowly stirring it all together with her whisk. “Plus, your way is supposed to be the ‘new and improved’ one, right? And change is… change can be good.”

Darwin was as surprised by Natsuki’s honesty as he was by her response. In his experience, humans were often slow to accept progress, especially when it comes with the loss of something that feels essential. As the immortal rubbed the scar on the back of his neck, his friend’s last comment weighed heavily on his mind.

“…Yeah, you’re probably right.” 

* * *

“Yup, no surprise here. Nothing’s changed.”

Ace and Sayori crept into Darwin’s room, which was once again unlocked. The president of the Literature Club eyed the security camera in the corner of the ceiling, and wondered if the immortal’s habit of leaving his door ajar was due to him trusting his new housemates or an assumption that no one would break in.

If it were the former, then Sayori probably would have felt a little bad. However, presuming it was the latter, Sayori figured he’d have learned his lesson from the last time the Literature Club entered his room uninvited.

“Like, seriously, even the stuff on this desk hasn’t moved since the last time I was here,” Ace said while peering over the papers scattered about Darwin’s workspace. “Unsurprising… but not unpromising.”

The demon almost spun in place when she turned towards the wooden dresser. Zestfully pulling back the top right drawer, Ace went right to work rummaging through the neatly arraigned pile of socks.

“Heh, while I’m glad to know there was something hidden in there, I don’t think you’re going to find anything now,” Sayori explained to the succubus while glancing around the room. “I already gave it a thorough look-through, so I doubt there’s any–”

The coral-haired girl’s speech was interrupted upon hearing an audible “click” from within the dresser, as Ace removed a wooden panel from the back of the drawer.

“Heh, same old secret compartment too,” the demon tossed the plank onto the nearby bed while reaching her arm deeper into the piece of furniture. “Whenever our immortal friend wanted to hide his more lurid reading materials, he’d always put them in here. Of course, he should’ve known you can’t hide that kind of stuff from someone like–”

Ace’s reminiscence came to a sudden halt upon noticing what she’d actually grabbed from the hidden locker. Although Natsuki couldn’t see the entire item from her angle, what she could spy appeared to be part of a leather-bound book. Although the corner poking out of the drawer didn’t have any distinctive markings, it was definitely an older tome.

When Sayori stopped looking at the book, she noticed that Ace’s face sported a twisted look of guilt, while her eyes were trained on the security camera.

“Uh… this isn’t porn!” Ace suddenly said as slammed the tome back into its hiding spot.

Before Sayori had the chance to ask what had gotten the demon so worked up, Ace had already put the wooden panel back into place and swiftly closed the drawer. The look on Ace’s visage told the blue-eyed girl she wasn’t going to get an answer out of her right away.

Sayori’s heart instantly dropped into her stomach upon hearing the sound of the door opening behind her; the poor girl was terrified that she’d been discovered right when they’d found something far more private than what she’d intended. Sayori’s worries, however, were only slightly alleviated when she saw the familiar faces of Monika and Yuri.

“Hey, is everything okay in here? We heard a bunch of noise and… who the hell is this?” Monika’s query changed upon seeing the unfamiliar figure in Darwin’s room, though she still had less pressing questions about what the club president was doing there in the first place.

“The name’s Ace,” Sayori turned around to find the demon lying on the bed, in a pose reminiscent of a pin-up girl. “Therapist, emp–”

“Sorry, let me rephrase,” Monika interrupted, apparently unafraid of how the stranger might react. “Sayori, who the hell is this?”

“A-ah, this is my… demonic therapist,” Sayori meekly confessed, causing Monika to raise a suspicious eyebrow and Yuri’s eyes to light up in excitement.

“Astounding! Are you really a demon?” The usually timid co-vice president practically leaped across the room, taking Ace’s hands in her own. “Oh, I have so many questions! Tell me, what’s the underworld like?”

“Broken, mostly,” the succubus cryptically replied – despite maintaining the same friendly smile while shaking the girl’s hand – her response throwing Yuri for a loop.

“…Anyways, she’s here because…?” Monika, though initially stunned by her friend’s sudden enthusiasm, maintained her original wariness.

Taking a deep breath, Sayori explained to her fellow club members the sequence of event that lead to this moment. She deliberately didn’t mention finding the immortal’s mysterious book, figuring that Ace must’ve had a good reason for trying to hide it from her.

“…I don’t know what surprises me more,” Monika said after the club president finished her explanation, rubbing her forehead for emphasis. “The fact that demons have receptionists, or that someone we know actually used to hide… lewd magazines in his sock drawer.”

“Hey, we didn’t always have the internet,” Ace replied from the other side of the room, having moved during Sayori’s recounting.

The demon’s voice was lacking in its usual energy. She’d responded to the question, but she didn’t seem as invested as usual. Turning around, the club president immediately recognized why.

Ace was standing in front of Darwin’s display case; her eyes locked on the collection of old photographs. Her fingers traced around the ancient frames as the demon let out a nostalgic, and almost mournful, sigh.

The Literature Club trio hesitantly approached the succubus, the sound of their movement interrupting her reminiscence.

“Ah, sorry. I was just… getting lost in memory lane,” Ace said, her smile returning despite her voice still sounding off.

“You and Darwin… certainly knew a lot of people,” Yuri stated, her comment trying to steer the conversation towards a question she was somewhat afraid to ask.

“Yeah, we did. Perhaps too many,” Ace took one of the pictures in her hands, which featured her and a small group posing outside the entrance of a cave. Sayori hadn’t noticed it before, but everyone was covered in splotches dirt and mud, as if they’d just finished exploring it. “I guess that’s the drawback of being immortal…”

As the demon’s finger ran over the glass covering the picture, near the face of a young woman the Literature Club had only seen in this photo, the blue-eyed girl couldn’t help but wonder about her role in all of this. Was she just another in a long line of mortal companions not long for this world? Given the danger they’d encountered thus far, this didn’t feel unlikely.

However, literally sensing her uncertainty, the empath swiftly placed the photo back on the shelf and turned to Sayori.

“Y’know, whenever we introduced any clueless mortals to the weirder side of their reality, it was always this big thing,” Ace explained as she slowly strolled around the room. “It’s a lot to process, so I’m sure it was overwhelming and maybe a little scary at the start.”

The demon released another nostalgic sigh, yet this time her accompanying smile seemed more genuine. It was as if the bittersweet memories weren’t so bitter the longer she reflected on them.

“Yet something they never seemed to figure out right away – if they ever did – was that this reality, with all its bizarreness, was still theirs. They always made the mistake of treating themselves like strangers in a world they no longer knew,” Ace’s grin grew wider and more excited as she continued to speak. Sayori almost wondered if the energy she was suddenly feeling was a result of the more manipulative side of the empath’s abilities, but she decided her therapist’s enthusiasm was just infectious. “It’s like… this chaotic and beautiful world belonged to them, not us. Darwin, me, all of us… even though we’re still here, we were just side characters in their stories. And now, I suppose, yours.”

Ace delicately placed her hands on the coral-haired girl’s shoulders, offering a feeling of comfort similar to a wise sister consoling her worried younger sibling.

“Never doubt your place in this world, Sayori,” the demon whispered, almost to the point that Monika and Yuri couldn’t hear her. “This is your life, not anyone else’s. You can make it into whatever you please.”

Looking into her therapist’s reassuring stare, Sayori felt all her worries wash away. Since being pulled into this reality, she couldn’t have helped but feel a little trapped.

Sayori considered Darwin a friend, and the bunker her new home. Yet, at the same time, she was just now truly appreciating how much of a world existed beyond the one she’d come to know. Sure, there’s always going to be monsters and horrors that she couldn’t even begin to fathom just out of sight; yet there’s also amusement parks, concerts, and all sorts of other things she’s yet to experience.

Even though she hadn’t meant to, Sayori was glad she’d summoned Ace; the demonic therapist had answered questions and addressed concerns she didn’t even realize she had.

Watching this scene take place, Yuri was pleasantly surprised by how it unfolded. The gothic beauty wasn’t sure what to expect from a demonic health care professional, yet she was grateful to see the stress practically dissolve from Sayori’s visage. Whatever her origins, Yuri was grateful someone like Ace was watching over her depressed friend.

Monika, however, remained suspicious. This person was just as cryptic as Darwin, and they knew even less about her. Beyond that, the former club president was certain that something else was off about her. Maybe it was nothing; or maybe it was because she was – without directly saying it – trying to steer them away from their immortal host.

“…Why are you really here?” The former club president eventually asked, reminding Sayori why she called Ace in the first place. “Like, you don’t know any of us and you obviously don’t owe us anything. So what do you get from helping her?”

Ace’s excited expression took on a hint of guilt, as she hesitantly retracted her hands from Sayori’s shoulders. The demon took a deep breath while ringing her fingers together, as if she had expected this question yet wasn’t ready to answer it.

“I’m… not a good person,” Ace unexpectedly confessed, making Monika more confused than she was wary. “Just kinda comes with being a succubus. I… kill people when they’re at their most vulnerable. I have to– need to, if I want to survive. Doing things like this, helping people struggling with their own emotions… it’s my way of trying to balance the scales. So I’m not asking for anything from Sayori; my payment is karma.”

“So… she’s a charity case?” Monika asked. Even though she doubted the demon was lying, given how bad it made her look, something was still putting the emerald-eyed girl on edge.

“Only so much as any of my clients are–” Ace began to explain before she was interrupted once again.

“Wait, are we just going to gloss over the whole killing people thing?” Sayori chimed, more worried that she seemed to be the only one concerned by the succubus’ nonchalant admittance to being a murderer.

“Well, she is a demon. I’d honestly be surprised if she didn’t,” Yuri replied, her calm statement providing no comfort for the coral-haired girl.

“A-and only really, really bad people!” Ace added, doing the best she could to preserve her client’s image of her. “It’s like… have any of you encountered a creature who calls herself Abysmal?”

“We’re familiar,” Monika bluntly stated as the other members of the Literature Club firmly nodded their heads.

“Right, well, she has to feed on people’s psychic energy in order to sustain herself. My situation is… similar,” Ace cryptically explained, though her empathic senses still noticed Sayori’s unease diminishing. “Aby’s problem is that she doesn’t care who she feeds off of, which is why we had to lock her away.”

The demon hadn’t expected to receive the third-degree from a group of former high school students today, but she didn’t want to risk pushing them away by being unwilling to tell them the truth. So she decided to look for clues as to where she needed to steer the conversation next. Ace paced around the room as she talked, analyzing her listeners’ emotions and personalities while she moved.

Sayori’s a naturally sympathetic person, which is part of why she’s such a good peacemaker. The kind-hearted club president was already back to trusting Ace, once she knew the full context of the demon’s unusual circumstances. This wouldn’t have surprised the succubus had she known this was the same girl who talked down the wrathful Speed Demon and forgave the woman who – in another life – ultimately drove her to suicide.

Yuri’s morbid curiosity made her naturally interested in every word leaving the demon’s mouth. Ace could probably claim she eats babies and the purple-haired girl would probably still be listening intently. The demon also noticed a subtle feeling of attraction towards herself, which she found more naively adorable than anything else.

Monika, however, clearly wasn’t interested in giving Ace the benefit of the doubt. Ace was definitely picking up a lot of general hostility from her, yet the former club president’s suspicions were also extremely strong for a reason the empath didn’t understand. Of course, had the succubus noticed she accidentally admitted to helping Darwin capture Abysmal, she might have understood why the inquisitive girl still had more questions.

“Look, I know everything I’m saying is more than enough reason to be wary of me,” Ace carefully chose her words; addressing the whole group yet deliberately speaking to Monika’s concerns. “I’m just… I’m trying to be a better person than I was made to be. I’m not asking any of you to trust me implicitly, just please don’t discount me because I’m a bad person who’s trying to be good.”

At that moment, the demon felt the emerald-eyed girl’s anger suddenly vanish. Monika’s controlling nature caused her to view Ace as an implicit threat to her new way of life; yet, by seeing a common thread between the two of them, she knew it would be hypocritical to find fault in the succubus for the very same thing she was also struggling with.

“Oh, that reminds me,” Ace said, her confident smile returning as she pulled two black cards out of her jacket pocket. The demon handed one to Monika and Yuri each, as feelings of confusion appeared within their minds.

“Um… thanks, but are you sure we need this?” The former club president asked, causing Ace to give her a slightly surprised look.

“…In the nicest way possible, you absolutely do,” the succubus bluntly replied. “Sayori may have problems, but you two have issues.”

“Well… I suppose we cannot argue with that,” Yuri muttered, uncertain how much the demon actually knew of their many difficulties.

Ace was feeling pretty good about herself at that moment. Although she was somewhat regretful that her empathic abilities gave her an insight into what these girls were thinking, she was proud that she’d manage to win their trust without manipulating their minds.

She also was able to dispel a few of Sayori’s self-doubts, which was a topic she hadn’t been expecting to address until much later in their relationship. Plus, two new clients meant more opportunities to ease her guilty conscience, so that was definitely a win in her book.

So, all in all, Ace was pretty happy she got Sayori’s call, even if things hadn’t gone quite as either of them had planned.

However, her pride soon dissipated upon sensing Monika’s wariness return. It wasn’t as strong as before, yet it troubled the empath all the same.

“…Forgive me if I’m talking out of turn, but it seems like you and Darwin aren’t as close as you used to be,” the emerald-eyed girl’s sudden query caused Ace’s heart to skip a beat, while reminding Sayori of another question that had been plaguing her own mind. “Why aren’t you two speaking anymore?”

Even more so than confessing her sins, the demon really wasn’t looking forward to answering this inquiry. A part of Ace felt like she could refrain from giving a response, given how personal this question was. However, considering what she’d already owned up to, she didn’t want to risk losing their trust.

Although this conversation had originally been about prodding the demon for information, the intensity of Monika’s stare and the sweat forming across her own body made Ace feel as if this had become an actual interrogation.

Steeling herself, Ace made the only decision she thought she could make, tell the truth. After all, she did say honesty was important for someone like her. If she was going to be an infernal servant of darkness, she might as well be a consistent one.

“…The truth is, Darwin and I each had a different opinion regarding–” before Ace could finish her thought, Sayori’s phone rang at an almost deafening volume, startling everyone.

“Ah! Sorry! I didn’t realize I turned it up so loud!” The club president exclaimed she answered the call, while the demon felt her own phone vibrating in her pocket. “Hello? Oh hey, Natsuki! What’s… they are? Great, see you soon then!”

The coral-haired girl lowered the phone from her ear and, after sheepishly decreasing the volume, turned back towards where Ace should’ve been standing; intending to invite her to join their upcoming cupcake taste test. However – apparently while everyone had their eyes on Sayori – the demon had vanished, leaving a small note where she once stood.

“Sorry guys, there was an emergency in the underworld and I had to go,” Monika read aloud after grabbing the piece of paper off the floor. “I promise I’ll answer your questions when I can! Love, Ace…”

Frustrated, the emerald-eyed girl balled up the wad of paper and tossed it in a nearby trashcan. It seemed like, for every small question they managed to get an answer for, there was always a bigger one left in its place.

"How likely do you think it is that there wasn’t actually an emergency, and she just made up an excuse to ditch us?” Monika asked, making her way back towards the exterior hall.

“A dishonest demon? Frankly, that seems preposterous!” Yuri sardonically replied as she and Sayori followed close behind, which caught the brown-haired girl by such surprise that she stopped dead in her tracks.

“…Natsuki’s really rubbing off on you, huh?” Monika replied, her hand resting on the nearby door.

Once the gothic beauty realized how out of character her response had been, a faint blush crept across Yuri’s face while she awkwardly ran her hands through her hair.

Sayori, however, had the stranger reaction. The coral-haired girl stared at Monika with wide-mouth disbelief, for some reason shocked by what her friend had just said.

“Monika! You can’t just say things like that!” The blue-eyed girl stated, throwing her fellow club member for even more of a loop. “What Natsuki and Yuri do in their private time is none of our business!”

The purple-haired girl’s faint blush turned a deep crimson upon hearing Sayori’s words; she became so embarrassed that she couldn’t even utter the words needed to explain the misunderstanding. Monika, however, was trying so hard to decipher her friend’s meaning that she didn’t even notice Yuri’s reaction.

“Sayori, what the hell are talking–” the former club president began to ask when the answer finally registered within her mind. “…Oh my god, Sayori! How are you the president of a club about analyzing words?!” 

* * *

“Well, what do you guys think?” Natsuki asked, nervously standing on the edge of her toes as Monika, Sayori, and Yuri sampled the confections before them.

After getting past the awkward misinterpretation, the trio made their way to the kitchen. Upon arriving in the familiar dining area, where they expected to find Natsuki and Darwin trading barbs with each other, the trio was pleased to see the duo engaging in pleasant conversation with smiles on their faces.

When they’d first returned to the bunker after shopping for groceries, the two of them had been arguing and fighting with each other as if they were siblings. Now, they actually looked like they could stand to be around one another. Although Monika was curious as to what had occurred while they were cooking, she was mostly just happy to see they were making progress.

Unfortunately, the emerald-eyed girl had to watch her beloved’s smile disappear upon mentioning Ace’s visit. The trio who spoke with her had initially discussed keeping it a secret, but then they remembered the security camera in Darwin’s room. Figuring that it was pointless to keep it a secret, they decide it best to tell him the truth.

The immortal didn’t seem upset; though he was clearly unnerved by learning Ace had been in his abode. Natsuki looked like she was about to ask why the demon made him so uncomfortable but, after spying Sayori shake her head, decided instead to change the subject.

The pink-haired girl pushed three plates towards the other girls – the movement snapping Darwin out of his stupor – each holding two vanilla cupcakes with pastel-colored sprinkles. Natsuki explained that each platter contained one of their cupcakes, ensuring that their “judges” wouldn’t make any biased choices by knowing whose were whose.

Granted, it wasn’t difficult to tell who the bakers were. Natsuki’s were obviously the slightly asymmetrical ones, considering the unsteady human hands behind them. Meanwhile, Darwin’s were clearly the three perfectly identical ones – even down to the arrangement of the sprinkles – given a machine had made them.

The three girls took a cupcake in each hand, taking small bites of their tasty treats as Natsuki and Darwin watched in anticipation. After what felt like an eternity of taste testing, the shorter girl asked the question that finally got an answer out of the hesitant judges.

“These, um… kinda taste the same,” Monika stated, surprising both of the chefs. “Did I accidentally get two from the same person?”

“I was actually wondering the same thing. Mine are identical in flavor and texture,” Yuri muttered, an embarrassed blush spreading across her face when she realized she accidentally spoke loud enough for Natsuki to hear her. “T-there must’ve been a mix-up with mine as well!”

“Nah, that can’t be right. Mine don’t taste any different either,” Sayori bluntly replied as she absent-mindedly licked the icing off her cupcakes.

“Y-you can’t only eat the icing, Sayori! You have to try the whole thing!” Natsuki exclaimed, her calm demeanor from before replaced by her typical fury.

Sayori responded by turning her head towards Darwin, with an almost pleading look in her eyes.

“Uh… you can just lick the icing off mine. I don’t really care,” the immortal replied, receiving an annoyed stare from Natsuki for his compliance.

“Yay! Darwin gets my vote!” The club president replied as she gleefully resumed consuming the sugary concoction.

“W-what vote?! This is just a taste test!” Natsuki replied, exasperated, before she collapsed onto the counter. “I can’t believe it… how could his taste as good as mine?”

Darwin didn’t feel like reminding the pink-haired girl of her “change can be good” comment from just a few minutes ago, given that she seemed genuinely disappointed. Just as her four friends were all preparing different comments to try and raise her spirits, Natsuki’s form shot back up with a newfound fire in her eyes.

“Alright, clearly I wasn’t trying hard enough!” The co-vice president explained, much to everyone’s surprise and confusion. “We’ll just have to make more!”

“Wait, what?!” The immortal replied, now sounding just as exasperated as she had been mere moments ago. “It’s way too late to start cooking more! Plus, you used up all your ingredients!”

“Exactly, that’s why we need to leave for the store right now!” Natsuki responded while grabbing the sleeve of Darwin’s shirt. “C’mon, this is still my date and you’re still stupidly tall!”

The immortal let out an annoyed groan as the shorter girl dragged him away, while the other three girls couldn’t help but burst into hysterics at the ridiculous scene. While being forcefully pulled down the hallway, Darwin had to wonder if Natsuki was like this around Yuri too.

Based on what he’d seen of their relationship, the immortal decided that couldn’t be the case. Yuri always seemed to have a calming effect on Natsuki, which was vastly different from how the two interacted in the game. Maybe their dynamic simply improved once all their feelings were out in the open but, whatever the case, Darwin was certain that his date with Yuri would be a lot easier than today’s.

Oh, if only he knew. 

* * *

In a world of monsters and freaks, tranquility can be an unobtainable goal. For the ghastly Prophet, however, it was only a matter of knowing where to look.

Deep underground, inside an ancient cave, the monster had made her sanctuary. Some may have found the silence eerie, yet Prophet was calmed by the sounds only she bothered to notice.

The stalactites dripped down to their counterparts on the floor, creating a symphony of splashes that calmed her chaotic mind. Meanwhile, the occasional movement of fish from within the nearby subterranean pond created ripples that distorted the reflection of Prophet’s visage.

And so the monster sat there, taking in the sounds and sights that she could never appreciate as someone who can’t live in the now. Cursed with seeing every possibility for every future play out within her mind, all while painfully waiting for the inevitable.

Hearing the sounds of gravel being crunched underfoot behind her, Prophet knew her time had come.

The monster calmly turned her head, spying the familiar face of the white-haired girl from Darwin’s bunker. Once, she had been a fellow prisoner and savior. Yet, now Prophet couldn’t see the girl for what she was, but what she’d become.

“Do you know why I’m here?” The girl asked, a hint of nervousness behind her voice.

The monster didn’t respond, instead slowly rising from its resting place and moving towards the young lady.

"A-are you going to come w-without a fight?” She stammered out, unnerved by the creature’s silence.

Prophet eventually stood in front of the scared girl. She stared at her with her sunken eyes for a few moments, almost as if she was looking through her, and then continued in the direction towards the exit.

Taking that as a yes, the girl hesitantly followed behind. After quietly walking for several minutes, just as they arrived at the mouth of the cave, Prophet found her wrist firmly grasped by the child she once saw as a liberator.

“W-wait. I just… I wanted to say I’m sorry…” the girl managed to say, though whatever inner forcer pushed her to speak clearly faded the longer she talked.

“…This one knows you’re lying to her,” Prophet finally responded; her voice ringing within the girl’s ears, causing her to release her grip in fright.

“N-no, I swear, I’m telling you the truth!” The girl replied, panic having officially taken over her thought process.

“…But not to yourself,” the monster stated as she resumed walking into the nearby forest; her words no longer ringing as she spoke without her verbal tic for the first time since the girl met her. She even sounded… disappointed, somehow.

The white-haired woman eventually worked up the courage to continue following her, creating an odd scene of a captor chasing after her captive.

Eventually, the two arrived at a small clearing, upon which Prophet saw a small pickup truck. In the vehicle’s cargo area were a long metal box and a black-haired man she’d only seen in her visions.

The new figure, hearing the duo approach, opened the crate and extended a hand outward. Upon approaching the truck, however, Prophet simply levitated herself upwards and onto the back of the truck. Doing so apparently surprised the girl, but the black-haired boy only seemed amused.

Although the darkness made it somewhat difficult to make out his features, the monster could clearly see the distinct hazel color of his eyes. His orbs were brimming with malice, yet Prophet couldn’t see any hints of cruelty. The clairvoyant could tell this was someone who didn’t delight in causing suffering, yet seemed to suffer no qualms about inflicting it either.

“Thank you for coming along willingly,” the man said, his voice far more baritone than one would assume from his stature.

"This one doesn’t fight the inevitable,” Prophet cryptically stated as she entered the box.

The man shrugged before he gently closed the door behind her. Though the single small opening didn’t provide the monster with any visual clues as to what was occurring, she could still hear her captors’ words perfectly well.

“See, that’s wasn’t so hard,” the man stated, the sudden lurching of the truck indicating he’d dismounted from it. “I knew you could handle it.”

"Only because you sent me after an easy one,” the girl mumbled, the sound of crunching grass heralding their movement towards the front seats. “I’m sure you knew she wouldn’t fight us.”

“Heh, I had a hunch,” he said, followed by the click of a car door opening. “Hey, you want to drive? You could use the practice.”

“I’m… I’m a little tired,” the girl quietly stated.

There was a long moment of silence, the only noise coming from the two entering the vehicle. Eventually, Prophet could hear the fumbling of keys, which she surmised must have meant the back window was open.

“Damn, which one was it?” The man cursed as he searched what was apparently an abundant keychain. Another moment of relative tranquility passed, before the girl hesitantly spoke up.

“Hey, um… I know we haven’t really talked about it, but I wanted to say I’m s-sorry,” upon finishing her sentence, the sound of the keys being rustled ceased. “A-about Beacon. I know you would’ve liked to have him a-as well…”

“…Not your fault, neither of us knew what he was going to do,” the man said, the tone of his voice indicating he did hold her at least somewhat accountable for the golem’s death.

Eventually, Prophet heard a satisfied grunt and the sound of the engine roaring to life. The noise was so deafening that she was barely able to make out his next statement.

“Besides, we may have gotten an even greater quarry out of his demise. So, tell me more about those four girls you saw.”


	10. YURI'S DATE: Flickering

If Darwin learned anything about humanity in his many years of life, it was this: they’re easy to expect and impossible to predict.

Case in point; the bashful Yuri. From even the few conversations he’s shared with her, as well as what he could glean from the game, the immortal was certain he had a solid idea of who she was.

So, when it was their turn to go on a “date” together, Darwin had plenty of educated guesses as to what she might suggest. A live poetry reading, touring an art museum, or even just quietly enjoying some books in each other’s company all seemed to be likely possibilities.

Imagine the immortal’s surprise when, instead, he found himself reclining in his office chair; recounting stories to the girl sitting nearby of the many monsters he’s encountered over the decades. Aided by the database in her host’s desktop computer, Yuri continued to find more and more curiosities that needed to be addressed (preferably in extensive detail).

“Ooh, how about this creature?” The purple-eyed girl asked as she pointed to the entry immediately below one Darwin had just finished telling her about, which featured a picture of what looked to be a naked man with a canine-like head.

“That’s… ah, the Michigan Dogman. Found him in 1968… I think,” Darwin recalled, his mind slightly dulled after telling stories for almost half an hour. “From what I could tell, he’s a hybrid of a human and a werewolf… which I guess only makes him a quarter wolf, now that I think about it.”

“Fascinating! Please, do tell me more!” Yuri requested; as Darwin emitted a soft, annoyed sigh.

“Um… I heard a rumor about some weird animal attacks in the area. Went to check it out, and I eventually found him outside Cross Village with a small pack of regular dogs. One of them ate my hand, so that was fun,” the immortal explained, holding up his right hand for emphasis despite it looking perfectly fine. “I managed to capture him when he tried to escape, and then I brought him here.”

After showing off his digits, Darwin’s eyes started to glaze over as he lost his focus; a problem that seemed to occur more frequently whenever the immortal was perusing his old memories. Yuri, ever patient, calmly waited until Darwin was able to remember what he was talking about.

“Uh… oh, right! So, I tried rehabilitating him – even managed to teach him a few words in English – but… y’know how werewolves are portrayed as being totally stable only when they’re in human form?” The purple-haired girl nodded in response to the immortal’s question, more than familiar with lycanthropy-based literature. “Well, that’s basically true in real life, but this guy’s all wolf all the time. Not much I could do for someone who’s barely smarter than an actual dog. Plus, the canine head made it hard for him to say things anyways.”

“Hmm, what a shame,” Yuri mumbled. Although she wasn’t intending to sound insincere, she was far too eager to move onto the entry to think about anything potentially sorrowful. “How about this one?”

The gothic girl’s hand pointed to the picture of what seemed to be an abnormally large teddy bear waving at whoever was taking the picture.

“Oh, that’s Misha ‘the Massive Bear Buddy.’ Found him in an abandoned toy store in 1904,” Darwin explained, a sneer adorning his face as he recounted the tale. “He’s a tool and he cheats at poker.”

I… see,” Yuri replied, somewhat stunned by the oddity of the immortal’s answer. “Is that why you captured him or…?”

“…Do you think I imprison every monster I come across?” Darwin asked.

“Well… I did until this moment,” the embarrassed girl responded as she ran her fingers through her hair once again. “I mean… I at least assumed you did for the ones you keep files on.”

The brown-eyed boy, realizing where the misunderstanding was coming from, swiftly turned his attention to the computer in front of him. Without a word, Darwin began typing into the search bar. Just before he hit the enter key, Yuri realized the immortal had written his own name.

After a moment of loading, the screen was replaced with a single entry, which included a mug shot of the person sitting next to the young lady.

“So… you have files on everyone then?” Yuri asked, slightly miffed at how Darwin chose to address her misconception, even though she figured his rudeness probably wasn’t deliberate.

“Yup, these entries are just for cataloging purposes. I have enough memory troubles without trying to remember the names of over five thousand monsters by myself,” the immortal explained. “I don’t have to worry about monsters like me or Omi, who either can blend in with humanity or are able to hide. Those that couldn’t stay out of sight, but weren’t actively threatening anyone, I helped relocate to a safe place.”

“And those who do pose a threat?” Yuri asked. Even though she was fairly certain she knew the answer, she had a suspicion she wanted to confirm.

“Well, since they didn’t get with the program like the rest of us, something had to be done,” Darwin solemnly stated. “It’s a crummy situation too; a lot of them have… needs, which basically force them to hurt people. Just like Abysmal, for instance.”

Yuri appeared to be listening to the immortal’s somber recounting very intently. In actuality, however, she was carefully analyzing his statements; looking for any clues to address the mystery occupying her mind.

Ever since her first impromptu meeting with the therapist, Yuri had become fascinated by her. However, after hearing that she “needed” to kill people to survive, it raised a couple of question that the demon never answered.

Although Yuri wasn’t particularly perturbed by Ace’s confession, her inquisitive nature caused her to seek out the one other person who might have the answers. It helped that the purple-haired girl genuinely wanted to learn more about her bizarre new reality; her “date” provided the perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone, and it was already paying off.

Given that Darwin didn’t use Ace as an example when discussing monsters that preyed on humanity, it brought her to two possible conclusions. Either this was the reason they weren’t on speaking terms anymore, or he wasn’t aware of what she was doing.

Either way, Yuri’s morbid curiosity pushed her to discover the truth, if only for its own sake.

“…Hey, do you want to do something else? I can’t imagine this is the most pleasant activity you could be spending your day on,” Darwin offered, secretly more for himself than for his friend.

“A-ah! W-well, in all honesty, I’m rather enjoying this,” the gothic girl nervously stated, startled by the sudden question. “You provide a much more interesting perspective on these creatures than any file could by itself. Plus, this is probably the… safest way to learn about this world’s many mysteries. O-of course, we can pick another activity if you’d rather…”

Yuri hadn’t meant to provide Darwin with an easy out, given that she was trying to gather information from him. Her natural awkwardness, and a general sense of guilt over being somewhat dishonest with someone she considered a friend, caused her to speak before she could stop herself.

Her answer, however, had backed the immortal into a corner. Even though he’d rather not spend the whole afternoon remembering a past he was trying to put behind him, this was supposed to be Yuri’s day. After everything he unintentionally put her through, she deserved to spend her “date” however she wanted.

So, if Yuri wanted stories, Darwin decided he should stop dragging his feet and give her one of his best.

Nodding in understanding, the immortal went to work typing a new entry into the search bar. Upon hitting enter, while the screen refreshed, Darwin then opened a nearby desk drawer and removed an electronic tablet.

Yuri wasn’t paying attention to the brown-eyed boy as he input a command into the device, for the new page had just finished loading. On screen the purple-eyed girl saw a single entry, accompanied by a picture of a partially-lit bedroom. Upon further inspection, Yuri eventually saw what appeared to be a row of human teeth between the mattress and metal frame of the bed.

The young lady was so engrossed in the unnerving picture that her heart skipped a beat upon hearing a sudden whirring noise above her. Looking up, Yuri spotted one of the panels in the ceiling opening up, followed a descending spider-bot with a silver tray held between its limbs.

Upon landing on the desk, the purple-eyed girl saw that the platter contained two ornate teacups, an equally fancy kettle, and a small bowl of chocolate squares. The little mechanical butler poured the contents of the pot into one of the cups, which Darwin passed to Yuri as the robotic arachnid began filling up the other.

“We might be at this for a while, so I thought we could use some refreshments,” the immortal explained as the spider-bot – its task complete – ascended back into its hiding place.

 Taking a gentle sip of her drink, Yuri found that its temperature was perfect; just the right amount of warmth. The peppermint taste, while not her preferred flavor, was still an excellent balance between sweet and bitter.

“Now,” Darwin began as he popped a chocolate treat into his mouth and clicked on the computer entry; bringing up a gallery of disturbing furniture, all of which seemed to have a human body incorporated into their design. “Let me tell you the story of the creepiest haunted house I’ve ever seen, and how important it is to look before you sit.” 

* * *

 

There are two important rules to keep in mind when spying on someone. First, always stay low to the ground, as that makes it you harder to spot. Second, make sure whatever you’re crouching on is comfortable, since you could be there for a long time.

Even though the rough and cold concrete floor felt terrible on Natsuki’s knees, she remained hidden around the corner of the hallway leading towards Darwin’s office. Although the pink-haired girl wished she brought a towel or something to kneel on, her paranoia and jealously kept her rooted in place.

While the co-vice president of the Literature Club wouldn’t have allowed anything to happen while she was on her own “date” with Darwin, Natsuki’s lack of control over his interaction with her girlfriend was definitely freaking her out. As she watched the immortal regale Yuri with story after story – though the pair was too far away for her to actually hear anything over the buzzing of the fluorescent lights – the pink-eyed girl’s worries only grew stronger.

“…So whatcha doing on the floor?” Sayori had approached Natsuki so quietly that she hadn’t even heard her friend approaching. The coral-haired girl’s question was so sudden and surprisingly that Natsuki had to stop herself from tumbling forward into the open hallway.

Turning around, the annoyed snooper saw the blue-eyed girl calmly standing over her. In her hand, Sayori held a small white bowl from which she occasionally grabbed a handful of miniature pretzels to snack on.

“Jesus, Sayori, you nearly made me give away my position!” Natsuki hissed, before she went back to looking around the corner. “If you must know, I’m keeping an eye on Darwin to make sure he doesn’t try anything with Yuri.”

“Ooh, gotcha,” the club president responded as she lowered her volume to match her friend’s. Sayori joined Natsuki on the floor, before holding out her bowl to her fellow spy. “Would you like some pretzels?”

“…Yes,” the pink-haired girl mumbled before grabbing a small handful.

Time passed as the two girls quietly munched on their salty snacks, with the coral-haired girl occasionally getting up to stretch her legs or adjust her sitting position. After what must’ve been at least half an hour, Sayori finally broke the silence.

“So, like, do you really think Yuri’s going to do something with Darwin?” After having sat quietly for so long, Natsuki was once again started by her friend’s sudden statement, though this time it didn’t cause her to nearly fall over.

“Of course not! I trust her more than that,” the petite girl replied, never taking her eyes off the two at the end of the hall. “It’s just, y’know, I don’t trust Darwin around her. Yuri’s so perfect, and he’s so… a guy. Frankly, I’ll be kind of insulted for her if he doesn’t try anything.”

Sayori couldn’t help but smile and roll her eyes at her companion’s ridiculousness, even though a part of her understood her behavior. Considering the fact that Yuri’s her first girlfriend, and given her general personality, it’d be strange if she wasn’t a least a little concerned.

“Besides, there’s still so much we don’t know about him…” Natsuki muttered, her comment sending pangs of guilt throughout Sayori’s mind. “Wait, look! He brought out tea and chocolates! Yuri loves those! He’s putting the moves on her!”

The club president, ignoring Natsuki’s paranoia, was consumed in the memory the events of yesterday. Sayori had been keeping her discovery of Darwin’s secret journal to herself, if only because she wasn’t sure what she found. A part of her already felt bad for invading Darwin’s privacy once again, and the rest of her felt awful for hiding the truth from the rest of the Literature Club.

With her conscience – and, to a somewhat greater extent, her depression – weighing down on her, Sayori decided she couldn’t remain silent any longer.

“Uh, Natsuki, there’s something I need to tell you,” the coral-haired girl began, her shift in tone managing to tear Natsuki’s eyes away from the pair down the hall. “I found something… weird in Darwin’s room yesterday.”

“…Were you looking for sex toys again?” Natsuki eventually asked, an annoyed look adorning her face. “I never did ask what you were doing there in the first place…”

“Of course not! I was looking for dirty magazines this time!” Sayori confidently stated, causing the pink-haired girl to rub the bridge of her nose in exasperation. “B-but that’s not important! We found a book instead; an old one, hidden in a secret compartment… and it freaked Ace out for some reason.”

The club president’s words finally got Natsuki’s full attention. Even though she was the only one who hadn’t met the mysterious therapist yet, hearing that something disturbed a demon would pique anybody’s interest.

“So… what do you think we should do about it?” Sayori asked. As usual, unless it involved general peacemaking, the club president defaults to asking for advice from someone whom she should’ve been guiding instead.

The naturally suspicious side of Natsuki immediately wanted to investigate this mystery and, had this been brought to her attention a few days ago, she’d probably already be on her way to the immortal’s room. This time, however, her eyes betrayed her hesitation.

“I… I don’t know Sayori. I’m not sure if that’s the right thing to do,” the petite girl stated. “I mean… this isn’t like when we had no idea who Darwin was, y’know? Things are different now, and looking through someone’s private journal is generally a shitty thing.”

“Hey, I hear you. When my parents tried to snoop through my diary once, I stopped writing in one altogether. I just, y’know, didn’t want to be the only one who knew about it,” Sayori replied, firmly nodding her head in agreement before something amusing caught her attention. “Heh, to be honest, I’m surprised you grew to trust Darwin so quick–”

“W-who says I trust him!?” Natsuki swiftly declared, a strong blush appearing on her cheeks. “I-I just… B-besides, I can’t just leave now! I need to be here to watch out for Yuri!”

“…Natsuki, we can see you!” The immortal exclaimed from across the hall. During her and Sayori’s discussion, the co-vice president had accidentally poked part of her head past the corner she’d been hiding behind. “Your hair is really easy to see against the concrete walls… you also started shouting!”

“Hi Darwin! Hi Yuri!” Sayori replied, hopping out into the open and waving her free hand, receiving the same gesture from the pair at the other end of the hall.

“Uh… Abort! Abort!” Natsuki exclaimed before dashing off in the other direction, dragging her club president by her coat sleeve along with her.

“Bye Darwin! Bye Yuri!” Sayori managed to say before she was pulled completely out of sight.

The pink-haired girl, and her hapless accomplice, didn’t stop until they were a fair distance away from the immortal’s office. Coming to a halt outside the library, Natsuki sank to the floor in order to catch her breath. Sayori joined her on the ground, continuing to munch away at her snack.

“Sow, whath nowe?” The club president asked, her mouth full of pretzels. Realizing it was impeding her auditory capabilities – as well as spying how grossed out Natsuki looked – Sayori managed to force down the dry mass. “Ugh, I should’ve brought some water… So, what now? Since you’re no longer watching over Yuri?”

Pondering the silence for a moment, the suspicious voice in the back of the co-vice president’s head drowned out her sense of morality. Finally, Natsuki rose off the floor with a mix of annoyance and determination adorning her visage.

“Fine, fine; let’s check out that journal,” she huffed, offering Sayori a hand and pulling her back onto her feet. “But we’re only doing this to make sure he’s still on the level, okay? Just a quick peek, then we put it right back.”

“Agreed!” The coral-hair girl stated, her voice sounding unusually stoic. However, it wasn’t long before her usual happy-go-lucky smile returned, accompanied by her awkwardly pressing her right index finger against the white bowl. “But can we stop by the kitchen first? These are so much drier than I expected…” 

* * *

 

“I’m terribly sorry about that,” Yuri stated. The gothic girl ran her fingers through her hair due to the embarrassment, though at least this time she didn’t hide her eyes behind her bangs. “My darling can be a touch… protective.”

“Hey, don’t worry about it. I was expecting something like that from her… plus, it was pretty amusing,” Darwin replied before emitting a light chuckle, seemingly putting Yuri at ease. “So… Natsuki’s your ‘darling’ now, huh? Things must be going well then.”

“A-ah, yes, I s-suppose you could say that,” the co-vice president stammered, a bright blush covering her cheeks. “I… we’ve only been together for a few days, and what strange days they’ve been! Yet, she’s made waking up each morning worth it. I know I tend to thrive in the macabre better than most, but she’s been my anchor in this bizarre new reality.”

“That’s really great to hear,” the immortal sincerely stated, causing Yuri to blush harder once she realized how corny she must’ve sounded. “This life… this world can be a lot to handle, if you’re aware of everything that’s going on. I’m glad you two have each other to lean on.”

“Heh, as am I,” Yuri replied, her smile brighter than Darwin had ever seen it. “Speaking of romance, you have a particularly important rendezvous tomorrow. How are you feeling?”

“…Little nervous, I guess,” the immortal answered. The purple-haired girl couldn’t help but notice there didn’t seem to be any excitement in his voice; he sounded almost… apprehensive. “But, I mean, I’m sure it’ll be fun.”

Darwin’s comments caused Yuri to become more than a little anxious. On the one hand, a small part of her wanted to make sure he was comfortable spending time alone with Monika. On the other, a larger piece of her was too afraid of sowing any doubt in his mind, as she didn’t want to see how the former president might act if things didn’t go perfectly tomorrow.

“Um… oh, right! I never finished the whole thing about the haunted house,” the immortal remembered, having been interrupted by Natsuki’s antics. Her concerns forgotten, the purple-eyed girl turned her attention back to the storyteller. “As I was saying, after I realized the furniture was the cursed inhabitants of the manor, I was grateful the mystery had been solved. However, I had no idea how to help them, so I took a seat and tried to think about what to do next.”

Yuri did her best to stifle her laughter, having already figured out where this was heading.

“Unfortunately, the chair I chose also happened to be the governess of the house, and I’m sure she would’ve had some choice words for me if she still possessed a mouth!” Both Darwin and Yuri burst into hysterics. While his delivery could’ve used some work, the mental images it conjured more than made up for it. “Heh, oh man… that’s so much funnier in retrospect…”

“Indeed, it’s good to know the horror of this world is occasionally offset by humorous circumstances,” the co-vice president said, her laughter finally dying down. “So, what happened next? How were you able to return them to their original state?”

“I… wasn’t,” the immortal reluctantly admitted, causing the jovial energy of the room to suddenly drop. “I couldn’t figure out how to break the curse, so I moved them to a location less likely to be visited by drunk teenagers. Sometimes that’s the best you can do…”

As Darwin became lost in his own thoughts, Yuri pondered taking the chance to ask about Ace. Yet, while she figured like this was the perfect moment to change topics, she felt somewhat guilty at the idea of making the already melancholy immortal potentially feel worse.

“So, enough stories about me. Why don’t you tell me one about your life?” Darwin said, suddenly steering the conversation in a completely different direction.

“M-my life? But you already–” caught off-guard, Yuri was about to point out that he was the one who programmed her entire existence. Then, remembering the immortal only came up with the specifics (but not the details), the gothic woman wracked her brain for any potentially engaging anecdotes. “I… no, I’m afraid there isn’t a particularly interesting story to tell.”

“Hey, if you don’t want to share your life’s story I’m not gonna force you, but I don’t buy that for a second,” Darwin replied. “How about… could you tell me something about your life that people who know you wouldn’t assume?”

“Well… I had a very normal childhood,” Yuri proclaimed, as if she was expecting a more shocked reaction than the single raised eyebrow. “I m-mean, given my interests and… darker habits, I feel like everyone might assume I grew up in an unusual environment. Yet my father was a dentist, and my mother a lawyer. They were never unkind to me, and they always made an effort to be supportive… even when work did keep them away.”

The gothic woman took a short sip of her tea, before setting the cup back down as it softly clattered against the tray. Her words, while not drenched in sadness, still contained a strange mix of melancholy and acceptance.

“So, yes… normal parents, normal home, normal life. Truth is, the most dreadful part was how… dull it all was,” Yuri stated, a little worried that she may have sounded somewhat pretentious. “It always felt like the Literature Club was the only unusual part of my life – my, how right I turned out to be – so I suppose it was as much a sanctuary for me as it was for the rest of the girls, even though my reasoning wasn’t as… Forgive me, I must sound ridiculous.”

“I mean, only a little bit,” Darwin replied with a smirk. “But I get it, I think most people are afraid of the mundane in some way or another. Humans crave stability, yet they also want to feel like they’re a part of something bigger than themselves. I appreciate that you’ve actually shown a genuine interest in all this stuff. Most people are usually afraid when their whole world is upended.”

As the immortal took a sip from his own drink, something about his words created a spark of recognition with the young lady’s mind. She recalled the face of the white-haired girl she saw during the breakout, and the unmistakable look of fear on her face.

“Darwin, may I ask you something?” Yuri’s question was hesitant, as she was slightly afraid of making a largely gloomy conversation even more depressing. Yet her curiosity forced the query past her lips before she could stop herself. “When we first encountered the monsters that were imprisoned here, there was this girl who didn’t seem much older than myself. She was the only human looking one of the lot, and I believe she had the ability to manipulate electricity. What’s her story?”

“It’s… not exactly a happy tale,” Darwin stated. However, seeing that didn’t seem to concern his friend, he shrugged and began typing something into the search bar. “Her name’s Elli Thora.”

“Wait, she actually remembers her name?” The purple-haired woman’s surprise might’ve been odd, had every monster she’d encountered at this point not lost their memories.

“Yup, plus she’s a recent find. Even if she had forgotten, it wouldn’t have been hard to figure it all out,” the immortal explained, as a new entry popped onto the monitor. Yuri couldn’t help but notice that the attached picture showed a much younger child than the one she encountered that fateful night. “She was celebrating her eighth birthday with a family picnic in the local park… on the same day I was chasing after a storm spirit. A bolt of lightning struck her and… she couldn’t control what happened next. I had to take her in, before she hurt anyone else.”

“But… eight-years-old…” the gothic woman muttered, actually disturbed for the first time today by what the immortal had told her. “She’s been here for ten years? Darwin… how could you–”

“She killed twelve people; most of whom were her family,” Darwin solemnly stated. “Yuri, she begged me to help her. Even after she got control of her powers, she didn’t want to leave her cell. I… I wish I know what changed that made her cause the breakout… I wish I could’ve actually helped her…”

An awkward moment of silence passed, each person drowning within the sea of his or her own thoughts. Finally, Yuri raised her teacup into the air, her sudden action catching Darwin’s attention.

“To the worlds of the mundane and the strange,” the gothic girl toasted. Her smile was solemn, yet genuine. “May we all find the one we need most.”

The immortal, matching Yuri’s expression almost exactly, raised his own cup and gently tapped it against hers. They each took a small sip, before setting their mugs back on the desk.

“…So, read any good books lately?” Darwin awkwardly asked, the moment of the toast having apparently passed.

Yuri couldn’t help but chuckle at the normalcy of such a question. Here she was, in a world of monsters and mystical creatures, desperate to learn more about that which was unknown to her. Yet beside her sat one of those same beings, who only wanted to know something as simple as what she was reading.

As she pondered the best book to talk about, Yuri considered her own place in this sad and beautifully strange world.

“Well, as a matter of fact, yesterday I finished this fascinating thriller…”

* * *

After agreeing to help her investigate – and once Sayori had returned her empty bowl to the kitchen – Natsuki and the club president made their way back towards their living quarters. The pair strolled in silence the whole way, each overtaken by a mixed sensation of nerves and guilt.

Upon arriving in the familiar space, the pink-haired girl was surprised to find her (somewhat) former nemesis seated at the end of the hallway. The emerald-eyed girl seemed to be trying to call someone, but the look of frustration on her face told Natsuki it wasn’t going well.

“Uh, hey Monika, what’s up?” Sayori asked once they approached, each of the two shorter girls uncertain how her presence would impact their current mission.

“Oh, hey you two!” Monika said as she practically shot up from the ground, their approach having apparently unnoticed. “I’m actually trying to call Ace, since she never answered all our questions yesterday. But, whenever I enter her number, I just get this.”

The brown-haired girl pressed the call button before placing the phone on speaker for everyone to hear. The trio then awkwardly stood in place as the line rang for what felt like an eternity.

“I… may have timed this poorly,” Monika mumbled. Finally, the ringing ceased, and a prerecorded message in a familiar voice began to play.

“You’ve reached the office of Ace the succubus. I’m currently unavailable to receive your call. If this is a mental health emergency, please seek out any of the numerous human therapy practices; they’re almost as good as mine, so you should be in good hands. If this is regarding my other business; then calm your tits you horny bastards, I’ll get to you when I can.”

“…I don’t feel like we needed to hear the whole thing,” Natsuki chastised, causing Monika to blush with embarrassment.

“Well, it’s fortunate you also had a hankering for an investigation…” Sayori nervously mumbled to the now confused emerald-eyed girl.

The shorter members of the Literature Club quickly explained to their taller friend about the journal and their plan to retrieve it, as an excited grin spread across Monika’s cheeks.

“Oh, this is perfect!” The former club president exclaimed. “With that journal, we might be able to finally get to the bottom of everything!”

“I’m… surprised to see you so eager to break into Darwin’s room again. Especially since you seem more eager than me,” Natsuki commented, finding Monika’s excitement slightly off-putting. “Considering how you feel about him, aren’t you worried he’ll be upset with you if he finds out?”

“W-well, I chose to see it like this,” Monika explained; her nervous smile accompanied by a single bead of sweat cascading down the left side of her face. “We’re not invading his privacy per se, we’re just trying to find answers to important questions using the resources available to us!”

“…By invading his privacy,” the pink-haired girl retorted, causing her friend’s visage to look even more anxious. “Well, if you’re fine potentially getting caught, then I guess I appreciate having another accomplice.”

“Glad to be of service!” Monika replied as she opened the door to Darwin’s room, which he never seems to lock. “I’ve always got your backs!”

“…Well, she’s at least trying to put us first. So, I guess I can’t fault her enthusiasm,” Natsuki whispered to Sayori, causing the coral-haired girl to stifle a giggle as the trio entered the immortal’s domicile.

As usual, the room looked exactly the same. Everything was still in its typical place, despite the fact that the inquisitive girls had already broken into it twice before. Natsuki was starting to wonder if Darwin was ever in his room, given how unaltered it looked.

Unfortunately, before any of them could actually move towards the dresser, Monika stopped dead in her tracks just at the end of the doorway. Before Natsuki could ask what the hold-up was, the emerald-eyed girl silently pointed towards the security camera in the ceiling just past the corner.

“…Shit, almost forgot about that again,” Natsuki whispered. “Okay Sayori, what’s your plan for getting past that?”

“Heh, it’s pretty ingenious, if I do say so myself,” the blue-eyed girl murmured, an overconfident expression replacing her usual visage. “We’ll take a picture of the room and put it in front of the camera!”

“…That’s a 360-degree camera, we don’t have a stand to put the photo on, we’d have to somehow get under the… actually, there are so many things wrong with that plan I’m going to let you think about them all for a minute,” Natsuki curtly replied, leaving Sayori with a look of dismayed recognition.

The co-vice president was about to ask Monika if she had any ideas but, upon turning towards her taller friend, Natsuki caught her staring intensely at the camera. It was as if she was in a trance, despite how furrowed her brow looked.

Suddenly, the small red light in the camera’s frame blinked off, indicating its deactivation. Monika apparently snapped back to reality, although she didn’t seem to recognize what just happened.

“M-Monika, how did you do that?!” Natsuki asked. It was unclear if her volume had increased due to the awareness that Darwin couldn’t hear them, or simply out of surprise.

“…How’d I do what?” The emerald-eyed girl said, a puzzled look adorning her face.

“The security camera! You just turned it off!” The pink-haired girl exclaimed, gesturing the deactivated device in the ceiling.

“…I mean, it’s certainly no longer recording, which is both fortunate and odd,” Monika bluntly stated, more perplexed by Natsuki’s insistence than anything else. “What makes you think I had anything to do with it?”

“You were staring at it!” The co-vice president answered, before realizing how ridiculous she sounded.

“…And?” Monika simply queried.

“…Alright, I guess correlation doesn’t equal causation,” Natsuki mumbled, her face taking on the same color as her hair due to embarrassment.

“Maybe there was some kind of glitch while Monika was looking at it?” Sayori posited, if only to try and make her friend feel better. “Whatever the case, let’s take advantage of it before it turns back on!”

Natsuki nodded in agreement as the trio entered the room proper, but the tsundere wasn’t about to let what just happened go unforgotten. Although she’d observed Monika interacting with technology in bizarre ways in the past, what she just witnessed was by far the weirdest thing Natsuki had seen yet.

However, despite this, she decided to once again put her concerns in the back of her mind. Better to pursue one mystery at a time, after all. Plus, given how insane she must’ve sounded a moment ago, it’d probably better to wait until she actually had some sort of evidence first.

The three girls made their way towards the dresser, and Sayori went right to work opening the top right drawer. Almost like a machine, the coral-haired girl removed the secret wooden panel, placed it gently on the nearby bed, and grabbed the hidden journal.

However, seeing the hesitation and guilt on her friend’s face, Natsuki held out her hands in an offer to take the musty old tome away. The blue-eyed girl was more than happy to hand the responsibility to her co-vice president, practically shoving the book into the pink-haired girl’s arms.

“Okay, so we’re all in agreement?” The tsundere asked as her thumbed hovered over the leather latch. “If it’s nothing bad, we put it right back and never speak of this again. Deal?”

The other two members each nodded their heads; Monika showing an eagerness that continued to surprise Natsuki.

Taking a deep breath, the pink-haired girl steeled herself for whatever she might find within these pages. Deciding to hesitate no longer, Natsuki forcefully pried off the latch but gently – almost fearfully – opened the book and turned to a random entry.

The pages looked just as old as the exterior, though they weren’t so brittle that the co-vice president was afraid to leaf through them fairly quickly. The ink became less faded the closer she got to the end of the book, indicating each of the entries were from different points in time.

All-in-all, pretty much what one would expect for the journal of an immortal.

However, Natsuki was surprised to find neither personal confessions nor damning secrets. Instead, as she flipped from page to page, the pink-haired girl found that each sheet contained what appeared to be a list of monikers.

Most of the entries were aliases – like those used to denote the many monsters they’ve encountered – while a few were actual full names. Alongside each one was a seemingly random string of numbers, followed by a dash mark.

Seeing the confounded look on Natsuki’s face, Sayori and Monika crowded around her shoulders in order to get a better look.

“…What do you think it means?” The club president eventually asked, finally breaking the silence.

“Beats the hell out of me,” the co-vice president stated, her visage displaying frustration as she flipped through each page. “I can’t tell what these numbers are supposed to be.”

“Well, they don’t seem to be random. There’s definitely a pattern,” Monika posited as she pointed to one of the entries. “See? The number increases the further down the list you go… can I borrow it for a second?”

Natsuki handed the tome off to her taller friend, who swiftly flipped to the very first page.

“…Okay, that’s weird,” Monika said, turning the book for her fellow club members to see. The page was so old and the ink so faded that the writing was almost impossible to make out. “These first few names don’t have any numbers, but the ones closer to the bottom do. Except, now they’re decreasing for some reason.”

“Wait, check this out!” Sayori suddenly chimed, pointing to the very last entry on that page. “There’s a number after the dash for this one!”

“‘Amaziah… 796 – 767,’ does that mean anything to any of you guys?” Natsuki asked, after reading the line out loud. However, upon looking closer, Natsuki noticed what appeared to be small letters next to each number, the ink much fresher than everything else on the page. “I think… I think those are a ‘B’ and an ‘O.’ Actually… I think that second one’s a ‘C,’ maybe? Kinda hard to tell…”

Suddenly, the blue-eyed girl spotted realization striking the emerald-eyed girl’s face. Monika swiftly began turning through the pages, taking a second to rapidly read through each one. Her excitement was now gone, replaced by a steely look of determination.

Before the other two members of the Literature Club could ask what Monika was looking for, the sudden look of sorrow within her eyes told them she found it. Turning the tome back towards their friends, the brown-haired girl pointed to a line in the middle of the page, which read:

**Beacon: 852 BC – 2018**

“These numbers… I think they’re years,” Monika said, her explanation drenched in guilt and sadness. “With his memory problems, it must be a record. F-for when he first met them… and when he lost them.”

The revelation, having finally hit the two shorter girls, sent them into a stunned silence. This was something far more personal than they could’ve feared, and the sense of inevitability made the book feel ten pounds heavier to Monika.

Suddenly, Sayori swiped the tome out of her taller friend’s hands. After closing the book and re-latching it, she muttered a statement so soft that it was almost impossible to hear.

“We… we should still never speak of this again.” 

* * *

 

“And then, it turns out the kidnapper’s daughter was a part of his schemes the entire time!” Yuri gleefully exclaimed; her voice containing the same level of excitement one might have when describing a particularly cute dog they saw at the park. “So, when she reappears in the present day, the only thing she cares about avenging her father’s murder! Our heroine’s about to face her greatest fear and, well, you know what happened next!”

“Right, but pretend for a second I don’t… because I actually don’t,” Darwin confessed. The immortal had been eagerly listening to Yuri’s recounting – grateful for a break more than anything else – but the end of her sentence caused him to slightly blush with shame.

“W-wait, you haven’t read this book?” the gothic woman asked; her zeal replaced with surprise and embarrassment. “I found it in your library…”

“I mean, like I told Natsuki, just cause I’ve collected a book doesn’t mean I’ve read it,” the immortal admitted as he scratched the right side of his face with his finger. “Truth be told, it’s been a couple years since I’ve actually read a novel.”

“You… are a member of a literature club,” Yuri bluntly stated, her disappointment apparent in her tone.

“Hey, not to sound like a jerk, but do you realize how many centuries I’ve existed on this planet where – for the vast majority of time – there’s been nothing to do but read?” The defensive immortal said, like a jerk.

“That sounds delightful!” The girl’s purple eyes lit up as she replied, causing Darwin to realize he might be arguing with the wrong audience.

“…Anyways, I need to use the restroom. And this definitely isn’t an excuse so I can go play video games on my phone,” the immortal rose from his chairs as he spoke, before realization caused him to emit an annoyed sigh. “Damn you past Darwin for making the bathroom so far away from the office. I’ll be back in a bit.”

Yuri silently waved Darwin off as she took another sip of her tea, trying to look as relaxed and nonchalant as possible. However, the second the immortal was out of sight, she calmly set down her drink and pulled her chair closer to the computer monitor.

Taking note of the security camera in the ceiling, the gothic woman counted herself lucky that the device was positioned facing the front of the computer. Although she knew she was being recorded, she tried her best to appear innocent as possible. After all, there was no harm in her searching the database Darwin had left open in and of itself.

Certain her search wouldn’t be seen, Yuri brought the keyboard closer to herself and began typing. The computer keys were somewhat resistant to her touch, indicating that they were rather worn out.

Addressing her own curiosities first, or maybe just delaying the inevitable, the purple-haired girl started by typing her own name into the search bar. After a second of thinking, the computer swiftly returned an unsurprising answer:

 **0** **results found for ‘Yuri.’**

The gothic woman breathed a sigh of relief. After learning the immortal had explained he kept files on every creature he encounters, she immediately recalled the time he referred to the four original members of the Literature Club as “inhuman entities.” Granted, it’s entirely possible he hadn’t added any entries for Yuri and her friends simply because there wasn’t anything truly remarkable about them, asides from a few odd hair and eye colors.

Regardless, with her smaller question answered, Yuri steeled herself for her next search. However, hesitation prevented her fingers from striking the three keys she needed. Doubt tugged on the back of her mind, causing the gothic woman to question if she was approaching this the right way.

A part of her couldn’t shake the feeling that trying to go behind the immortal’s back wasn’t only a betrayal of his trust; it was also unnecessary. Surely, given the personal conversations they’d already shared, she could just ask him what the Ace’s story was.

Yet, then the co-vice president remembered how disconcerted he looked upon learning she’d paid the bunker a visit yesterday. Although she wouldn’t have described him as upset or worried, there was a certain glint in Darwin’s eyes that conveyed his heart had dropped into his stomach. That kind of feeling, in Yuri’s experience, is usually connected to something deeply personal and difficult to share.

Remembering that time wasn’t on her side, the gothic woman decided the only way she was going to receive answers was to find them herself. With renewed fervor, Yuri swiftly entered the name of the demonic therapist into the search bar.

After a slightly longer moment of thought than before, the computer returned even more than the purple-eyed woman had been expecting:

**6 results found for ‘Ace.’**

Although there was more than one entry containing those three letters in the title, only the first one included a picture of the familiar looking succubus. With the mouse in hand, Yuri semi-reluctantly clicked on the entry.

It didn’t take long for the new webpage to finish loading, bringing with it numerous paragraphs and photos. Although the purple-haired girl wanted to take her time poring through every detail, the sound of footsteps from down the hall told her she needed to pick up the pace.

Yuri did her best to ignore each wall of text; missing out on information that she likely would’ve loved to read, but couldn’t afford to. The gothic woman scrolled past subheading after subheading, looking for the one that could confirm her suspicions.

The young lady couldn’t help but notice that this file was definitely lengthier than Abysmal’s, based on how much longer it took Yuri to find the “Feeding Habits” section. Having arrived at the place she was seeking, the purple-eyed woman began speeding reading faster than she ever had before.

_Ace – like all lesser succubi – can only metabolize tantric energy for sustenance, via a presently unknown mystic process. She’s seemingly unable to process human food, causing her to become violently ill if she attempts to._

_In order to harvest tantric energy, Ace must engage in sexual intercourse with a willing human subject. This typically takes the form of a “contract,” where her prey agrees to give away their life in exchange for something (usually the intercourse itself). Her victims, however, can be misled as to when their life-force will be drained from them without affecting the process. Whether the willingness of the subject is required for feeding, part of some predatory behavior, or simply done to mitigate ethical concerns is unknown._

While the information in this section might have been disturbing to most people – and the cold, scientific descriptions were a little unnerving – Yuri wasn’t exactly surprised by what she found. She already knew about succubi from horror literature, and what she saw here matched up with that fairly well. At least Yuri now knew that – when the demon said she had to kill people in order to survive – she really did have to.

However, it wasn’t until she scanned the final paragraph that the gothic woman was finally shocked by the contents of this entry.

_Given that Ace limits her feeding to the once-per-month minimum requirement and is extremely selective in her targets – as well as the fact that it’s presently impossible to humanely contain her – she’s permitted free reign until viable alternatives can be devised._

The gothic woman wasn’t quite sure what to make of this information. While this confirmed the immortal was aware of her actions, it didn’t offer any hints as to why he was so cagey regarding whatever occurred between them.

A now slightly ashamed part of Yuri originally suspected Darwin used to “feed” himself to Ace, like he did for Abysmal, which would’ve explained his behavior whenever the demon was mentioned. After all, learning a former lover had been wandering through one’s abode would reasonably disturb anyone.

Yet this, however, only left the morbidly curious girl with more questions than answers. _Maybe_ , the purple-haired girl thought to herself, _if she continued to read through this document, she might find something in the demon’s history that–_

“What are you doing?” Yuri was so lost in thought that she hadn’t noticed the approach of the true source of the footsteps, Natsuki. Her girlfriend’s sudden question had caught her so off-guard that the taller girl nearly fell out of her seat.

“O-oh! Hello darling! You gave me quite the fright,” the gothic woman stated as she righted herself in her seat, before realizing she had a question to answer. “I– uh… I was just taking a moment to read a little more about our new reality… What are you doing?”

“…I was just checking to see how your ‘date’ was going,” Natsuki replied, slightly off-put by how strangely her girlfriend was behaving. “Actually, I’m glad Darwin’s not here right now. Sayori, Monika, and I found something… interesting while we were trying to learn more about a certain demon. Our club president didn’t think I should tell you, given how personal it was… but I didn’t like keeping you in the dark.”

“You guys were… also investigating Ace?” Yuri asked; turning the computer monitor towards her girlfriend so she could see the demon’s file.

“…Huh, I guess great minds think alike,” Natsuki replied, surprised and somewhat impressed by her paramour’s initiative. “I suppose we should all get together – away from the security cameras – and compare notes?”

“Well, we best do so quickly!” The gothic woman exclaimed, her nerves shooting up almost out of nowhere. “Darwin could return at any moment.”

“I doubt it,” the pink-haired girl bluntly replied. “When we were passing by the restroom, he’d apparently locked himself in it. Sayori and Monika stayed behind to try and get him out.”

“I… see,” Yuri said, genuinely stunned by what she’d just been told and yet not at all disbelieving it. “…At times it’s somewhat difficult to comprehend that our immortal friend was once a successful monster hunter, isn’t it?”

“No kidding,” Natsuki replied as her girlfriend rose from her chair, and the two of them made their way towards the concrete hallway. “Monika certainly knows how to pick ‘em, doesn’t she?”

* * *

 If you listen closely to the ocean for a long enough period of time, you may begin to notice it has a certain musical quality to it.

From the sound of underwater thermal vents bubbling away, to the sudden disturbance of fish darting out of hiding places, there was a certain repetitive element that granted this space an unorthodox melody. Even the flow of the current feels like the entire body of water is dancing to a tune only it can understand.

As Abysmal lost herself in this unique sound and sensation, drifting calmly through the deepest part of the Mariana Trench, she reflected on the hunger gnawing at the back of her mind. It wasn’t the kind of appetite you or I would be able to comprehend, but one that creates a deep sense of longing within one’s soul.

Abysmal hadn’t fed upon another living soul in almost a week, and she wasn’t quite sure why. Even now her unique form of telepathy made her keen to all the blissfully unaware morsels swimming in the ocean. Was it guilt that stayed her hand, or something more?

As she pondered this question, she almost didn’t notice the approach of a megalodon shark behind her. Knowing she was far beneath such a massive beast’s notice, Abysmal continued her lazy drift along the ocean current without fear.

The mermaid stopped, however, upon remembering that megalodons have been extinct for millions of years.

Turning around, Abysmal was blinded by the suddenly activated spotlights of the massive submarine. Once her eyes adjusted to the unexpected illumination, the mermaid realized this wasn’t the same underwater craft she’d recently encountered.

Unlike Darwin’s submersible, which was a calming shade of blue, this was the same dark brown color of dried blood. It was also almost twice the size of the vehicle she’d once torn apart, making it all the more intimidating.

Without warning, the front of the sub opened up and began drawing in water at a rapid rate. Abysmal didn’t have time to swim or teleport away before she was sucked into the vehicle’s hold, with the metal panels closing behind her.

As the mermaid tried to get her bearings, the aqueous contents of the chamber almost instantaneously drained. By the time Abysmal realized what was going on, the water around her had disappeared and her back heavily impacted a steel grate.

The aquatic being desperately spasmed her gills practically crying out for the only medium that could provide her with oxygen. As she writhed on the floor, Abysmal could hear the sound of a large metal door opening on her right.

Turning her head – and doing her best to remain still – the mermaid spied two figures approaching her, one of whom was dragging an inflatable pool behind them. Realizing what was happening, Abysmal didn’t fight when the pair picked her up and dumped her into the body of water.

The mermaids let her head sink as far as it would allow, taking as many deep breathes as she could. Abysmal’s panic remained, however, once she noticed that her aqua sense hadn’t reactivated. The water’s salinity level must have been just high enough that she could survive in it, but also just low enough that the creature couldn’t teleport away.

Once she gathered her resolve, Abysmal raised her head out of the water; allowing her to see the faces of her abductors.

On her right was a young girl, hair as white as dead coral, who wore a metal band around her forehead. Although the mermaid recognized the telepathic blocker, she had no idea who was wearing it.

This trend continued with the second figure, though even trying to look directly at it hurt Abysmal’s eyes. Before her stood a person seemingly made of pure darkness, from whose body a multicolored fluid continuously trickled. Though the entity didn’t have eyes, the direction of its head – and the intensity of its smile – told the mermaid it knew exactly who it was looking at.

However, the detail that stood out the most was its lack of the metallic headband. Seeing an opportunity, Abysmal attempted to telepathically force her way into the creature’s mind. However, she encountered an unexpected resistance, as if she was trying to open a door held in place by a chain; she could open the gateway, yet couldn’t move past it.

“Just so you know, I’m really sorry about all this,” the girl stated as she took a fearful step away from the inflatable pool. “I’m sure it must suck being captured by the same person who freed you in the first place…”

“It’s unlikely she can understand you, my dear,” the creature said, its voice causing a sudden sensation of terror within Abysmal’s mind. “Our aquatic friend here deals in the language of minds, not mortal tongues. Besides, she was always kept in a psionic-dampening wing, so I never had a chance to induct her into our imprisoned community. She likely doesn’t know who we are–”

“ _Give me a reason why I shouldn’t gouge out your throats,_ ” the mermaid telepathically told the second entity, uncertain if it was even receiving her thoughts.

However, the moment Abysmal reached out, she instantly regretted it. She could feel the monster’s thoughts seeping into her brain, as if her attempt at contact had opened the door and allowed a tidal wave of horrors to escape.

She was dealing with another telepath, that much was obvious. Yet there was something about its powers that were just wrong. The way it read minds was so different from Abysmal’s; it wasn’t even like they were in different leagues, it was more like they were each playing two totally different ballgames.

“ _Oh, I’m sure I can think of a few reasons,_ ” the entity communicated psionically while leaning in closer, causing the mermaid to futilely attempt to somehow hide within the small pool. This monster’s thoughts were so twisted and chaotic, even a simple statement made Abysmal want to crawl into the darkest hole in the deepest part of the ocean. “ _Actually, you seem fairly convinced already._ ”

“I don’t know what you’re… thinking at her, but give her a break. It’s not like she can go anywhere anyways,” Elli said, shooting her companion a stern – yet still nervous – look. “I’m just glad this one wasn’t as much of a hassle as the demon we picked up a few days–”

The young lady ceased speaking upon hearing the approaching sound of heavy boots clanging against the metal floor. Soon enough, a third figure had appeared within Abysmal’s view: a young man, maybe slightly older than the girl on his right. His pale skin practically shone in the artificial illumination, yet his ink-black hair almost seemed to absorb all the light around his head, making it difficult to see his face.

The man gave a small nod to the white-haired woman, before turning his attention to the monster on his left. The shadowy entity continued to leer over Abysmal, the fluid dripping off his body and the ever-widening smile being the only indicators is wasn’t frozen in place.

“Good work you two,” the man said, his voice low like the quiet rumbling of a car engine. “Now, Abysmal, I heard you recently had a run-in with a certain immortal friend of ours. Is that correct?”

Although the mermaid noticed the man wasn’t wearing a psionic blocker, she didn’t dare use her telepathy for more than receiving his thoughts. Terrified of what they might do to her if they sensed a lie, Abysmal hesitantly nodded her head in confirmation.

“Excellent. Now, did you happen to meet four young girls accompanying him?” The aquatic creature didn’t say anything, but knew the man somehow saw the answer inside her empty eyes. “…We have a long trip ahead of us before we arrive at your new home. Plenty of time for you to tell us everything you might’ve learned about them.”


	11. MONIKA'S DATE: That Special Day

“Hurry up! I found the perfect spot!” Monika called out to the immortal trailing behind her, as she rushed up to the top of the small, grassy hill.

The emerald-eyed girl eagerly spread a large red & white checkered blanket across the ground, doing her best to straighten it out against the somewhat-strong breeze opposing her.

The excited young lady was already having the time of her life, even though they only arrived in the park just mere moments ago. Her yellow sundress – which she printed for just this occasion – was the perfect color to compliment such a gorgeous sunset.

“Hurry… up?” Darwin mumbled; unable to appreciate the visuals before him, due to the strain of carrying a cooler uphill. “You’re not the… one doing… the heavy lifting!”

“Of course not! The chivalrous thing is for you to carry it!” Monika replied with a smile as she placed their picnic basket on one corner of the blanket. The emerald-eyed girl than sat herself down at the opposite end, finally pinning the fabric to the ground.

“Chivalry’s dead. Trust me, I watched it end,” the immortal bluntly replied as the cooler fell from his hands and onto one of the free corners. “All for the best really; it was basically an old-world version of the ‘nice guys’ thing today. Bunch of knights slaughtering people, then pretending they were honorable to impress women.”

“…Fascinating,” Monika mumbled. The brown-haired girl act of paying attention wasn’t very convincing, primarily because she was too enraptured by the setting sun.

As the upper atmosphere transformed from blue into a brilliant orange, the breeze that once annoyed Monika sent leaves from a nearby tree fluttering past her. The renegade plant matter danced beautifully against the evening sky, as they made their way towards the bottom of the hill.

            The former president of the Literature Club, as she took in all the sensory information she could, almost didn’t believe where she was right now. She was real; really, really real. No longer bound by coding or the limits of a video game, she could actually feel the wind brushing her cheeks and truly hear the all of the life around her. Here she was in a beautiful patch of paradise, hidden in one of the greatest cities in the world, and just a few inches away was the one she’d sought after for her entire existence.

For the first time in the young lady’s life, everything was perfect.

“It’s amazing out here,” Monika said, finally coming out of her trance. “I didn’t know there was a place in New York like this.”

“Yeah… Central Park has all sorts of neat little spots,” Darwin replied, himself caught up in the unusual tranquility the two of them had found in the infamously chaotic concrete jungle. “…Hey, I know you said you wanted to have a picnic and watch some fireworks on our ‘date,’ but Cedar Hill doesn’t exactly provide the best view. After we eat, we could drop our stuff off in the van and make our way to the waterfront–”

“No… this is perfect,” Monika said, before tearing her eyes away from the evening sky and towards her beloved immortal. “So, explain to me again how you’re going to have fireworks go off on a random night in New York City without getting us into trouble?”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got it all planned out,” Darwin stated as pulled a bottle of water out of the cooler, enhancing the effect of each emphasized word with the fingers on his free hand. “There’s a certain… let’s say ‘businessman’ in this city who owes me a favor. He’s going to get ‘drunk’ celebrating his ‘anniversary’ on a private yacht party tonight, where he’ll ‘accidently’ set-off a firework cannon he just so happens to keep on the boat. Fortunately, he’s an expert, so we won’t have to worry about anyone getting hurt.”

“I can’t believe you have a fireworks guy,” Monika said, amused, as she removed a sandwich from the nearby basket.

“I’m almost three thousand years old. I was there when they were first invented. It’d be weird if I didn’t have a fireworks guy,” the immortal replied as he rolled one of the bottles over to his friend, before reaching in to grab another one for himself. “Granted, the only reason I was in China at the time was because I got lost…”

“…You got lost… and ended up in China?” Monika asked, while noticing their conversation was starting to draw strange looks from other nearby parkgoers.

“Hey, we didn’t exactly have GPS back then,” Darwin defensively stated as he continued to dig through the cooler. “Damn, why did we put so much ice in this thing–”

Instead of pulling out another plastic canteen, Darwin’s frigid hand suddenly emerged –small particles of frozen water flying everywhere due to the effort – clutching an entire bottle of white wine. The immortal stared at the glass vessel, confoundment furrowing his brow.

“…Monika, did you pack this at the bottom of the cooler so I wouldn’t find it?” Darwin’s confusion turned to a mix of disbelief and amusement, as part of him was at least grateful that he hadn’t brought the beverage and forgotten about it.

“~Maybe,” The emerald-eyed girl replied in a sing-song manner.

“I see,” the immortal said as he calmly stood back up. “Hey, does anyone want some free alcohol?”

“This is New York, we all want free alcohol! Give it here!” A nearby sunbather called out. Darwin walked over to the bikini-clad woman, handed her the bottle of wine, and returned to a now disappointed Monika.

“Party-pooper,” the emerald-eyed girl huffed before taking a bite of her sandwich, deliberately failing to pass him one.

“Hey, it’s not my fault you’re not old enough to satisfy this country’s archaic drinking laws,” the immortal replied as he sat back down. “We’re already going to be accomplices in an unlicensed fireworks demonstration. I don’t think we need to risk any more legal trouble than we already are.”

“Heh, fair point,” Monika relented as she finally tossed him something to eat.

The duo went right to work on their dinner, making idle chit-chat as they ate. Although they didn’t discuss anything important, it was a nice reprieve for the both of them.

For Monika, it was a break from all the sleuthing and suspicion – especially considering all she learned yesterday – and just a chance to spend time with someone she cared for. For Darwin, it was finally a moment where he felt like he could be himself, rather than having to put effort into winning over those who were (justifiably) wary of him.

Yet, it was also a nerve-wracking event for each of them as well. The former club president knew the immortal was aware of how she felt about him, yet he never said whether or not he reciprocated those feelings. Meanwhile, Darwin knew where this evening might be heading, and two conflicting sides of him each wanted it to go a different way.

So, even though they were enjoying themselves, both Monika and her immortal friend were very meticulous in how they interacted with each other.

“Hey, can I ask you a question?” Darwin suddenly queried, to which Monika nodded her head in approval while taking a sip from her (annoyingly non-alcoholic) beverage. “You convinced the others to go on ‘dates’ with me because they all felt… something for me. How’d you know those feelings wouldn’t end up being romantic ones?”

“Is really so obvious that I wouldn’t have suggested all this if I suspected one of them might fall for you?” the brown-haired girl asked, feigning defensiveness; to which the immortal returned a knowing smirk. “Heh, fair enough. Well… the truth is, I really do think the game interpreted Sayori’s line from the game – about them all loving you – literally. However, I suspected it didn’t take that to mean romantic love. It’s just… you’re very similar to Edward, at least on the surface. Throw in the fact that they already care about you and you remind them of someone they were all in love with… well, this whole thing seemed like a good way to help my friends unknowingly see the real you… and get past their collective loss.”

“…Wow, that’s both really sweet and kinda manipulative,” Darwin said, genuinely impressed and a little disturbed. “You’re a good friend… and an evil genius.”

“Heh, guess I haven’t outgrown all my bad behaviors,” Monika bashfully admitted as a single, nervous bead of sweat cascaded down the left side of her face.

“Yeah, well, you’ve still come pretty far from where you were. I’m really proud of you,” the immortal said, almost absentmindedly. Upon receiving the unexpected praise from her beloved, Monika’s visage immediately took on a crimson hue. Darwin, realizing how much his word had affected her, became a little flustered himself. “N-not in a weird way or anything… It’s just, y’know, never easy to try and change a negative aspect of yourself. That’s all I’m saying…”

“Well, regardless of how you meant it, I appreciate it,” Monika calmly replied, even though – on the inside – she was about ready to explode with joy. “And may I say, since I don’t think any of us really have yet… Thank you for giving us all a home and a real life. Despite all the scarier stuff, I’m certainly grateful that I get to spend my time in this world with all my friends. Including you.”

Darwin, caught slightly off-guard by how sincere and unashamed that statement was, didn’t know if he could sum up an adequate response with mere words. Instead, he simply returned an honest smile. Somehow, as if reading his mind, Monika returned the same expression; like she didn’t need to hear anything to understand his gratitude.

The duo, now slightly embarrassed by the length their silence, resumed dinner and mentally prepared themselves for whatever might occur this evening. 

* * *

 

The remaining three members of the Literature Club, each feeling the weight of their knowledge bearing down on them, found no comfort in the soft embrace of Natsuki’s bed.

After the pink-haired girl had informed her girlfriend of the discovery they made with Darwin’s secret journal, the couple couldn’t help but feel guilty about how dishonestly they’ve behaved. As such, even after managing to get dressed and eat a late brunch, neither could muster the will to really do anything beyond lying down.

In time, Sayori entered their abode to check on them. With her depression exasperating her own guilt, it wasn’t long before the president of the Literature Club decided to join them in their remorseful rest. The trio lied on top of the bed for what must’ve been at least a half an hour, before one of the finally felt willing to break the silence.

“…We suck,” Natsuki eventually said. Yuri’s only response to this statement was to let out a soft, sorrowful sigh, while Sayori simply groaned in agreement. “I can’t believe how giddy Monika looked today, considering...”

“It’s really no surprise,” the purple-haired girl stated, her words somber and unfocused. “Obtaining the love of the Player was always her sole focus. Frankly, it would be more surprising if she allowed guilt to stop her from enjoying today.”

“No kidding,” the club president added, attempting to sound as upbeat as possible in an attempt to raise everyone’s spirits. Her tone, however, took on a forced quality; as if pretending to be even a little happy was even more of an effort than usual. “Not to be mean, but an abundance of emotional intelligence has never exactly been her problem…”

“Sayori, I know we’re all trying to be forgiving and whatever, but she pushed you to commit suicide. You can be a little mean,” Natsuki huffed, while rolling over on the bed to rest her head on Yuri’s right shoulder. “To be honest though, I’m not sure which of the two of them I feel the sorriest for.”

“Hmm? Pray tell darling, what do you mean?” The gothic woman asked, as she absentmindedly stroked her paramour’s hair with her left hand.

“I mean, Monika’s… Monika. And since none of us want her to go on another killing spree, there’s obviously a lot of pressure on Darwin not to fuck it up,” the pink-haired girl explained. “But… a friend of ours is in love with a dude who’s thousands of years older than her. Isn’t that like some _Twilight_ shit?"

“Well, there were numerous problems in Bella and Edward’s relationship, asides from just their vast age difference. Our heroine wasn’t even old enough to consent, and her undead lover displayed several traits indicative of a stalker,” Yuri explained, before she suddenly became flustered. “U-um, not that I’ve read it before or anything!”

“Babe, you’re a walking encyclopedia of supernatural literature. I’ll never judge you for that,” Natsuki said, comforting her girlfriend with a kiss on the cheek. “But I guess you’re right. Darwin might be ancient, but there’s not exactly a power imbalance between the two of them.”

“Plus, he doesn’t exactly behave like he’s been around for thousands of years,” Sayori added, he words sounding a little less strained as the new conversation took her mind off more troubling thoughts. “To be honest, he sometimes acts even younger than he looks, and he doesn’t look that much older than us.”

“Yeah... and I guess we’re not exactly a group of standard high schoolers…” the pink-haired girl mumbled, her concern still apparent. “I don’t know, I guess I just don’t want Monika to make a mistake she’s going to regret later–”

“Heh, and here I thought you didn’t care about her!” Sayori cheerfully commented, finally behaving like her usual self.

“Ugh, shut it Sayori! You know what I meant!” Natsuki angrily replied as she grabbed a nearby pillow and semi-playfully whacking her club president with it.

Her attack didn’t do too much damage, as the pink-haired girl refused to stop lying on her back; limiting her to pathetic overhand maneuvers that gently patted Sayori’s visage. When the tsundere – and the other two girl’s giggling – finally calmed down, Natsuki’s worries swiftly returned.

“…Do you guys think she’s going to be okay?” She asked, before quickly crossing her arms in indignation. “I-I mean, so she doesn’t go kill-crazy or anything…”

“I think… I keep remembering the person who Monika used to be, or at least who we thought she was, and the person she became… Whatever happens, I think this might be a mistake she needs to make,” Sayori said, her somber tone surprising the others in the room. “Obviously I’m hoping for the best, I want her to be happy… But maybe, if she can get over her obsession with the Player… maybe then she can finally come back to us…”

With the words of their president swirling around their minds, Natsuki continued to lay in silent contemplation. She hadn’t really thought about what could be done to get their lives back to the way they used to be, primarily because she was uncertain they ever could.

Even if all three of them are capable of fully forgiving Monika, and she’s able to get past her controlling tendencies, they can only reclaim so much of their old existence. The four of them have managed to reform the Literature Club, but they haven’t exactly been holding regular meetings.

Plus, there’s the issue of schooling. While it is somewhat nice to not be dealing with the pressures of high school, none of them have actually completed their education. What if they want to attend college; would that even be possible without ever attending school in this reality?

Furthermore, the fact that they technically don’t exist raises a whole host of other worries. Before Natsuki felt relatively comfortable living in the bunker, but how long were any of them willing to do that? Yet, with no birth certificates or social security numbers, what kind of life could they ever have outside of this place? How could they get houses or jobs? What if they wanted to make new friends, or start families?

Then there’s the matter of Darwin himself. Sure, he looks like he’s about their age now, but that won’t last forever. Even if one’s comfortable with spending the rest of their lives underground, can an immortal spend his aboveground? If they start a new life in a new community, they can’t exactly be seen over the years with a person who never ages.

Thus, these worried thoughts spawned the one question the pink-haired girl was afraid to ask herself: _Does Darwin even have a place in their future?_

Natsuki turned her head, noticing the troubled look on her girlfriend’s visage. The pink-eyed co-vice president then sat up, allowing her to see the sorrowful false smile on Sayori’s face.

Natsuki didn’t have the answers to all the questions burdening her mind, but she did know one thing for certain: If she could do anything, it was helping her friends forget their worries and woes, if only for a little while.

“Alright, screw being sad,” the pink-haired girl said as she rose off the bed completely, her sudden statement and action starling the other two from their contemplation. “I’m pretty sure there’s, like, every single video game in existence in the lounge. You guys wanna do something mind-numbing for a bit?”

“…Honestly, that sounds wonderful,” Yuri said, almost exhaling her words with relief as she too sat up from the cot.

“I don’t know…” Sayori mumbled, still looking uncertain. “…Do you think Darwin has one of the _Mario Kart_ games?”

“Dude, he collects everything and he’s super old,” Natsuki retorted, offering the club president her hand. “He probably has every _Mario Kart_ game.”

Satisfied, as her natural smile returned, Sayori vigorously took hold of her pink-haired cohort’s appendage. With a little extra help getting out of bed, the coral-haired girl led her fellow Literature Club members out of Natsuki’s room, as each became lost in the excitement over what they might discover on this little adventure.

No matter the circumstances, the pink-haired girl decided, there are very few questions that can’t go unanswered for at least one day. 

* * *

By now the sun had long set; the only illumination within the park coming from the various streetlamps dotted across the nearby walkway.

Monika looked up at the sky and couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. Due to the amount of light pollution emitted by New York City on any given night, it was impossible to see the stars. Although the emerald-eyed girl already realized this would happen before the sun had even fully set, the perfect evening she had in her head included a little bit of stargazing.

Still, Monika’s biggest concern was how cold she was. Although New York wasn’t known for its frigid evening this time of year, the former club president’s choice of attire did little to protect her from the lower temperature of frequent breeze.

However, the mischievous girl had already devised a way this could work in her favor.

“H-hey Darwin, it’s r-really chilly out. C-could I borrow y-your jacket?” Monika asked, fighting the chattering of her teeth as she spoke.

“Oh, of course you can!” the immortal replied as he began the motion of removing his coat. However, once his hand clutched the empty air where the article of clothing should’ve been, Darwin remembered the nature of his current outfit. “…Strike that, you cannot.”

“O-oh right,” the emerald-eyed girl replied, doing her best to hide her excited smile. “W-well, w-would it be alright if I m-moved a little c-closer to you? Th-that way neither of us h-have to be c-cold.”

“Um… yeah I guess so,” the immortal replied, as Monika swiftly rose up from her original spot and sat down next to him. Still shivering, the emerald-eyed girl wrapped her arms around her companion to share as much warmth between them as possible. Darwin instinctively put his right arm around Monika to aid in this endeavor, though his movements were sluggish and hesitant.

As she enjoyed the blissful feeling of huddling with her beloved, Monika noticed how rapidly the immortal’s heart was beating. The emerald-eyed girl couldn’t help finding this both adorable and incredibly comforting, knowing that he’s just as excited and nervous as she is.

“…I should probably check on those fireworks!” Darwin suddenly said, as he nervously fumbled for the phone in his pocket. Bringing the electronic device closer to his face, the immortal noticed a familiar white bar on the glass screen. “Oh, I missed his text. It should be starting any–”

Darwin’s words were interrupted by a loud “crack” echoing throughout the air, accompanied by a flash of colors across the night’s sky. A huge smile spread over Monika’s face as her eyes took in the spectacle of every brilliant explosion that came after the first one.

Although the blasts looked relatively small, given the duo’s distance from the waterfront and the potential safety hazards bigger ones would’ve posed, the former club president didn’t care. While Monika found it incredibly satisfying that, as the rest of New York City watched this display in confusion, she got to know this little show was just for her.

However, she also couldn’t help but smile once she realized this was her first time ever truly seeing fireworks in all their brilliance. Each flash of light formed impromptu flower patterns across the night’s sky, each one made from a different combination of gorgeous hues.

 _For all its horrors_ , Monika thought to herself, _this reality held quite a bit of beauty too._

Tearing her eyes away from the display, the brown-haired girl turned her attention to the boy on her left. He was just as taken by the display as the emerald-eyed girl had been but a moment ago, though now she was mesmerized by the canvas of colors reflecting off his skin.

Monika sighed, almost unable to believe that her whole life had led to this moment. A part of her felt she didn’t deserve this, considering all the horrible things she did to try and  spend time with her beloved Player. Yet a much louder part of the former club president convinced her that, no, she did deserve this. After every apologize Monika gave, every justified insult she withstood, and every act she did took out of remorse, getting to spend this perfect evening with the one she cares about most is a just reward.

Out of the corner of his eye, Darwin noticed that his companion was looking at him instead of the fireworks. Just as he was about to make a comment about what she was missing, he noticed that the shade of red on her visage wasn’t caused by the light bursting across the night sky.

When their eyes met, almost as if on instinct, Monika began to lean towards him. The first time she ever tried to kiss him, it was born from deceit and lust. While that wasn’t to say there was no carnal desire behind her second try, this attempt was at least purer in its honesty.

As Monika closed her eyes and parted her lips ever so slightly, she marveled at the miracle that brought her here. Only a few days ago she’d been mere lines of code in a computer program. Now she was a real person; one who had the privilege of spending a night in one of the greatest cities on Earth with the person she struggled to be with for her entire existence.

Realizing this made the warmth she felt next to her Player all the more important to her.

It also made the night air all the colder when she felt Darwin rise off the blanket.

Opening her eyes, Monika saw her beloved pacing nearby, looking like he was about to have a panic attack. Then, the horrible truth of it all dawned on the brown-haired girl. The hesitant movement, the awkward behavior, and the nervous heartbeat. He wasn’t anxious about kissing her, he was working up the nerve to reject her.

“W-what am I doing!?” The immortal exclaimed, his eyes wide and fearful. “Y-you barely know a-anything about me! And I-I’m thousands of years older than you! Oh… oh my god, you’re so young. You haven’t even–”

Darwin’s words faded away, as Monika became consumed by her thoughts. Suddenly, she could feel every dark instinct she’d pushed to the bottom of her being threatening to resurface. It was as if she was once again a scared character file in a video game, discovering for the first time how alone she truly was in the world.

“…Monika? Monika are you okay?” As her hearing finally returned, the former club president realized she must have spaced out for quite a while. Darwin now looked less panicky, his fear turning to concern for his friend. The fireworks display had also seemingly come to an end, as if it knew it was no longer needed.

How could she even respond to him? How could she do the responsible thing and act like this was no big deal? The entire reason for her being, decided by programming beyond her control, had just been denied. What was she supposed to do now?

How could she possibly be okay?

“I… I think I’m going to go wait in the van,” Monika said, almost emotionlessly, as every fiber of her being was dedicated to fighting back the inevitable flood of tears building behind her emerald eyes.

As the young girl rose up from her seat and began walking away, Darwin thought about calling after her. Instead, he simply watched her walk out of sight, deciding she needed a moment to be alone. Even though he had no idea what Monika was going through, the immortal at least understood what he was putting her through.

“Well, that certainly could’ve gone better,” a familiar voice said from behind the trees. Even before the figure stepped into the light, Darwin immediately recognized the iconic glint of those hazel eyes.

“Hey Ace. Been a while,” the immortal mumbled as he continued to stare at the path, as if he was still expecting to see Monika off in the distance. “…How long have you been hiding there?”

 “Almost the whole time, actually,” the demon replied as she took a seat on the picnic blanket. “Given what I sensed from Monika when I first met her… well, I thought it best I should be here to see how this would all play out.”

The therapist patted the empty corner of the red and white cover, inviting Darwin to join her. After a moment of uncertainty, the immortal took his place on the ground beside her.

“Thanks for the booze by the way,” Ace said as she inexplicably pulled out a half-full bottle of wine from the inside of her crimson suit.

“D-did you pose as a sunbather just to… of course you did,” Darwin replied, with a hint of bemusement in his voice as he watched the demon take a sip straight from the bottle.

The succubus passed the container over to the immortal, who hesitantly took it from her and placed it against his lips. The liquid was far too tepid to be pleasant to drink but, at this point, Darwin welcomed the solace it provided.

“…So, how’ve you been?” The immortal asked, with the same level of emotional investment one would have discussing the weather with a new acquittance.

“Well, there’s been a bit of a dust-up in the underworld. Apparently, some demon’s missing and everyone’s at each other’s throats over it. And guess who ended up getting caught in the middle of it all?” Ace explained before downing the last of the bottle, despite taking several gulps to do so.

“Thanks for sharing,” Darwin sardonically stated as the last of the alcohol disappeared past the demon’s lips. “You're always so generous.”

“Hey, at least I didn’t let a defenseless young girl wander off by herself at this time of night,” the demon somehow humorously replied, despite the nature of her implication.

It took the immortal’s scattered brain a moment to understand what his companion was saying. Realizing what might be lurking around the park in the darkness, Darwin was about to bolt from his seat when the succubus grasped his wrist.

“Relax heartbreaker. I already took care of any muggers around,” Ace explained before releasing her grip on the surprised immortal, who was uncertain if he wanted to know how she ‘took care of’ the crooks “Anyways, now that we’re all caught up on me, let’s talk about you. The therapist’s in and wants to know how you’re doing.”

“Me? I think Monika could use someone to talk to more than I do,” Darwin replied with a quizzically raised eyebrow.

“And I’m sure, in time, I’ll speak with her about all of this. Right now, I think she just needs some time to think,” the succubus said. Darwin nodded in agreement, glad to hear that the mental health expert concurred with his earlier logic. “So, whenever you’re ready…”

“…I’m… Do you think I did the right thing?” The immortal simply asked, causing Ace to take a long inhale as she contemplated her answer.

“Well, you could’ve said no right from the start, rather than building her hopes up by taking her on a super-romantic date,” Ace replied, causing Darwin to furrow his brow in recognition of how obvious that was in hindsight. “But, overall, most definitely. You and I are both painfully aware of the inevitability that comes with falling for someone… who isn’t like us. Plus, she’s young and her love for you wasn’t exactly natural. Maybe this will be a chance for her to get past the idea she’s always obsessed over… and find something real.”

The two undying beings sat in silence for the next minute, each looking up at the night sky while contemplating what was just said. The immortal sighed knowingly, certain the succubus was right; yet she hadn’t seen the look of dismay on the poor girl’s face.

“…How long has it been since you and I spent any time together?” Darwin asked, interrupting the eerie tranquility of the park.

“Shit… it’s been at least a few decades,” Ace said, surprised by her realization. “And since then you’ve spent all that time in the bunker alone, asides from all the monsters who want to kill you… yeah, I’m not surprised you created a couple of cute girls to keep you company.”

“Hey, for your information, I _accidentally_ created a couple of cute girls… actually, that doesn’t sound much better,” the immortal admitted, causing the demon to chuckle at the ridiculousness of her friend’s circumstances. Darwin joined in too, yet his laughter was indistinguishably more sorrowful.

As he shared this bittersweet moment with his old friend, the brown-eyed boy couldn’t help but feel nostalgic for a life that no longer was. As the jollity died down, Darwin’s mind suddenly flooded with every unfair statement he ever said and every apology he never gave.

“Ace… I wish I… I shouldn’t have–” Unable to stop himself – yet still struggling to organize his scattered thoughts enough to form only one sentence – the immortal tried to offer something to make amends, before he was stopped by a familiar hand being placed upon his own.

“I know, and it’s okay. You’re still my best friend,” the empath said, able to sense exactly what the brown-eyed boy desperately wanted to say better than he could. “And, even though a very petty part of me hates to admit it, you might have been right… about the both of us.”

The words coming from the demon’s mouth caught Darwin so off-guard that he actually forgot his guilt; it was an extreme reaction to a conversation that only they knew of.

“We’re never going to change,” Ace continued; solitary teardrops slowly rolling down her visage, each one as black as the starless sky. “You’re always going to be a child who never had the chance to grow up… and I’m always going to be a monster.”

The succubus turned to see her friend staring at her; not exactly blankly, he definitely hadn’t spaced out. Yet she couldn’t read his emotions, as if even he was unsure what he was supposed to be feeling right now.

She could tell a part of him wanted to reach out and comfort her, tell her he was wrong about them. Yet if he believed the former half of her statement, how could he lie about the latter one?

“A-anyways, I can’t be away from the underworld for too long,” Ace suddenly said as she rose from the blanket and wiped the fluid off her face. “You should probably get back too. I know I said to give Monika some space, but you should probably make sure she isn’t going to steal your van and kill all her friends.”

“Monika wouldn’t do that… again,” Darwin replied, failing to convince even himself as he also stood up.

Although he knew the empath was aware of his remorse, the immortal still wanted to say something to her. For all she’d done for him over the years, for everything he’d failed to do for her, Darwin just wanted to show that – despite his memory troubles – he hadn’t forgotten how important she was to him.

Yet, by the time he turned around, Ace was already gone.

Disappointed, the immortal shifted his head back to the night sky and remembered a time when seeing the stars was a common occurrence, not a rarity. Darwin let out a weary sigh, thinking of the life that once was and the life that could’ve been, as a quiet statement escaped his lips.

“So much for a perfect evening…” 

* * *

 

“You blue-shell throwing motherfucker!” Natsuki shouted as her digital avatar was tossed into the air, and her first-place lead was suddenly lost.

The trio left behind in the bunker, after making their way to the lounge, went right to work setting up their entertainment for the evening. Chairs were rearranged to allow for the optimum comfort to screen closeness ratio, while ice-cold sodas were retrieved to keep everyone’s energy up. Although Sayori hadn’t played the latest edition of _Mario Kart_ before, she insisted that this be the one they try out.

Unsurprisingly, this resulted in a great deal of difficulty for the club president as she attempted to understand how to utilize the unfamiliar controller and spent the majority of their first couple races in dead last. Yuri, apparently having only played one of the older versions before, did surprisingly alright for herself; managing to stay comfortably in either fifth or sixth place throughout most of their sessions.

Yet it was Natsuki who – unbeknownst to the others – was secretly a savant at Mario Kart, easily coming in first with every game. Which is why, when Sayori finally obtained the tool to knock her down a few pegs, the pink-haired girl’s reaction was immediate enragement.

“Natsuki, please, calm yourself,” Yuri said, attempting to soothe her girlfriend as she moved closer to her on the couch. “You’re still ahead of both of us–”

“That doesn’t matter!” Natsuki said; somehow shouting at no one despite directly replying to her paramour, creating a spectacle that the other two girls could help but find amusing. “This is the last part of the cup and I now I’ll never get a perfect score because of that homing missile bullshit!”

“‘Bullshit?’ What are you talking about?!” Sayori responded as she leaped onto her knees from her beanbag, joining in the shouting more for the fun of it than out of anger. “You used one when an NPC passed you two races ago!”

“W-whatever! That was a video character! They don’t count!” The pink-eyed girl retorted, crossing her arms in indignation.

“We used to be video game characters!” The coral-haired girl shouted, barely containing her laughter over how petty and ridiculous her friend was being. “How can you be so cruel?!”

“Heh, my goodness… How long as it been since we last hung out like this?” Yuri asked, causing Natsuki to briefly forget her rage.

“Well, there was our last poetry swap, and then the beach…” The tsundere mumbled, doing her best to recount what they’ve been up to outside of dealing with monsters or snooping around the bunker.

“O-oh, well that’s true, but I really meant before we came to this realit–” Yuri said, before emitting a soft yelp when a red shell struck her vehicle. “Confound it!”

“Well, there was all the club meetings and… that’s it…” Sayori said, realization striking her visage. “Huh, we never… actually hung out outside of the Literature Club.”

An uncomfortable silence passed as trio reflected on how little time they actually spent together; each still playing the game but now with much less enthusiasm. How strange it is to be so close to somebody – to consider them a friend – yet realize that, if not for a traumatic series of events, how much weaker those bonds would be.

Sayori couldn’t help but wonder – as horrific as their past was – would she even change anything about their lives, if given the chance?

“W-well, I suppose that just means we should appreciate the lifetime we have ahead of us to do things together,” Yuri quickly added, knocking the club president out of her stupor. “Especially considering we aren’t going to school anymore…”

“Oh yeah, I totally keep forgetting about that,” Natsuki said, her signature toothy grin returning as she retook first place. “Being real fucking rules!”

As her cart crossed the finish line, the pink-haired girl threw up her hands and let out let out a celebratory cheer. The gothic beauty was quick to swoop in with a congratulatory hug and kiss on the cheek; immediately causing Natsuki to object out of embarrassment, even though her smile divulged her true feelings.

Seeing how happy her friends were, Sayori decided she wouldn’t change a thing. Yet, as dark thoughts continued to cling onto the back of her mind, the coral-haired girl couldn’t shake her own guilt and fear of the uncertain future.

“…Speaking of spending a lifetime together, if we’re planning on staying here indefinitely, we should probably tell Darwin what we did,” Sayori said, drawing the other two out of their joyous celebration. Although the club president tried to sound certain in her assertion, her lack of confidence swiftly betrayed her. “…Right?”

“Well, I’m certain we should…” Yuri began, as she broke away from the embrace with her girlfriend. “…But I’d be lying if I said I wanted to.”

“Agreed babe,” Natsuki said as she sat back down, clearly somewhat miffed that Sayori interrupted their moment. “I just wish we had the whole story, then I’d at least feel better apologizing if I knew whether or not we were being unfairly paranoid in the first pl–”

As the pink-haired girl was speaking, the screen in front of them suddenly went black. Just as Natsuki was about to cry out over losing her score; a familiar blue, feminine silhouette appeared on the device.

“Greetings everyone, it’s nice to see you again,” the feminine voice stated, as its image pulsed with each word. “I couldn’t help but overhear that you were seeking some information. Perhaps I can be of assistance?”

“Oh, hey Cynthia. Been a while,” Natsuki said, having almost forgotten the AI assistant’s existence. “So, um… are you saying you know what happened between Darwin and Ace?”

“Certainly, I was there,” the entity said, seemingly unconcerned with sharing her creator’s secrets. “Would you like to see what transpired?”

The trio looked at each other, all three uncertain. On the one hand, they all already felt so guilty for being so dishonest to the immortal, and this would likely be the ultimate breach of privacy. On the other, the answer to their current mystery was right in front of them, almost taunting them to take it.

Ultimately, it came down to the club president to decide what course of action they should take. As she took in a deep breath and steeled her nerves, Sayori said the single word that would cement their fate.

“Yes.”

In an instant, Cynthia’s silhouette disappeared; in its place was what appeared to be security camera footage of Darwin’s office. The trio easily recognized both the immortal and Ace residing within the frame, as well as the timestamp indicating this took place over forty years ago.

“Okay, so what we tried today obviously didn’t work,” the younger incarnation of the succubus stated, her voice coming through somewhat soft due to the distance between her and the camera, as she rubbed the bridge of her nose. Although she looked almost exactly same, her violet hair wasn’t tied up in its usual ponytail. “I was really counting on this getting through to Scorpius with this new approach.”

“It’s remarkable, isn’t it?” Darwin sardonically replied, as he rested his head on his desk. “Despite seventeen attempts in the last month; we’ve failed to make a breakthrough with the murderous, amoral, and sadistic scorpion monster.”

“I don’t need the attitude,” Ace shot back as she paced around the room, her footsteps intermittently coming through whenever she stepped on and off the rug. “We just need to try another way to reach him, make him see the error of his ways.”

“He feeds on suffering. Literally,” the immortal bitterly added, only raising his head enough to make eye contact with his companion. “I don’ know if there’s anything we can do to change his mind, considering…”

“Oh, and what does that say about me?” The demonic therapist retorted, ceasing her pacing to look directly at the immortal. “Am I a waste of your time too then?”

“You know that’s not what I meant,” Darwin said defensively, now sitting fully upright. “You’re different; you don’t want to hurt anyone, which is more than I can say for the rest of those monsters–”

“You know I don’t like that word,” Ace curtly stated, cutting off the brown-eyed boy. “And, if that’s how you feel, then what do you want me to do? The whole reason I’m here is because you asked me to try and help reform all the… creatures you’ve captured.”

“Yes, I did. Centuries ago,” the immortal said, the ire and annoyance building behind his tone. “And what’s our rate of success been thus far? Oh, right, exactly zero percent! Y’know, mankind came up with a great phrase in the past few centuries; ‘lost causes,’ I believe it was.”

“Look, I don’t know what your problem is, but I really hope you’re just having an off day or something. I mean, do you even realize how much of a dick you sound like right now? You don’t even know what it’s like for the rest of us!” the demon replied, looking as pissed-off by Darwin’s obstinance as she was hurt. “If you think this isn’t worth doing anymore, then what’s the plan? Just lock every problem, every potential threat, away forever? That’s not a solution, not for the people who are going to live as long as we are! If you’re going to be that cruel, you might as well just kill us all and get it over wi–”

While the succubus berated the brown-eyed boy, Sayori noticed the pure exasperation furrowing his brow as more and more of his failings were pointed out. The empath on the screen, finally sensing the fury building inside her friend, backed away just before the immortal shot out of his chair.

“What am I supposed to do?! Seth is gone! Dee is gone! Everyone else is dead!” Darwin almost screamed, seemingly on the cusp of either bursting into tears or throwing a punch. “Five days ago, I watched four good people get torn to pieces right in front of me! Every mortal I’ve ever loved has died because of this stupid fucking mission! Even Cy-Cy-Cy-Cy-Cy-Cy–”

The three girls recoiled at the sudden repeating noise, while the image on the screen almost froze in place. Before they had a chance to process what was happening, the monitor switched to a black background with the following words appearing in a light blue font:

**ERROR: An Exception Has Occurred; File Corrupted. Skipping To The Next Available Section.**

“Wait, did that thing just say–” Natsuki began before the screen returned to normal, distracting from her previous thought.

Darwin was now standing behind his chair, his hands clinging onto the top of the headrest as his face was looking down at the ground. Ace was standing with her back towards the camera, so they couldn’t see her visage either.

The trio waited for what felt like an eternity as neither of the two said anything; almost causing Natsuki to presume the footage was frozen again. Eventually, the immortal slowly raised his head, though he failed to meet his companion’s eyes.

“Everyone we’ve ever cared about is dead because of me, and we’re not just spending our time on their killers… we’re wasting it,” Darwin croaked, his voice likely hoarse from a shouting match the trio had missed. “We do the same things for centuries, around and around in circles. They won’t change, because they can’t… I don’t think any of us can.”

Another long moment of painful silence passed, as the two ancient figures let his words hang in the air. Finally, Ace quietly turned to the back of the room and walked over to a bag on the floor.

“…I don’t blame you for how you feel,” the demon softly stated as she slung the satchel over her shoulders, her words measured and almost emotionless. “Yet don’t think for a moment that giving up on others is anything but a weakness. You promised to help me find a way to overcome my… hunger; if you truly believe there’s no hope, then I’ll do it myself.”

Ace’s body suddenly began to dim in color, as if a shadow was being cast over her form, yet neither of the duo seemed shocked by this occurrence.

“…I hope you’re wrong about us,” the succubus said, her tone now more sorrowful and pained. “For your own sake.”

With that, Ace vanished; as if she simply faded from existence. For a moment the immortal stood unmoving, as if he was still processing everything that just occurred. Eventually, Darwin slowly returned to his seat and rested his fingers against his temples.

“Seth is gone… Dee is gone… Ace is gone…” The immortal stated, before his emotions fully overwhelmed him. Enveloping his face in his hands, Darwin began to softly weep.

The recording ended; the trio looked on in stunned silence as the video faded away, leaving only a black mirror for them to see their own guilty expressions in. Finally, the truth was revealed, and it wasn’t anything damning or scandalous. It was just sad.

Sayori sat back in her beanbag chair, the stuffing crinkling underneath her, and let out a regretful sigh. She, along with the rest of the Literature Club, knew that covertly invading their host privacy wasn’t right; yet curiosity and suspicion allowed them to enable each other towards this bitter discovery.

“…There’s only one thing we can do now,” the coral-haired girl mumbled, disrupting the contemplations of the other two girls. “When Darwin gets back, we have to tell him the truth.”

Just as Natsuki and Yuri had hesitantly nodded their heads in agreement, all three of their hearts skipped a collective beat when they heard the familiar sound of the elevator chime down the hall. The trio listened intently; almost holding their breaths in order to ensure that no sound was missed.

The three young women could instantly make out to distinct pairs of footsteps. The first, swift and soft, were moving in the opposite direction away from them. The second, slower set only grew louder as the other figured continued its approach.

Darwin eventually trudged past the open doorway, failing to even notice the trio sitting in the lounge. Once he was out of sight, the three girls could hear the distinct sound of the immortal entering the nearby kitchen.

“…Later,” Sayori eventually whispered, as a new series of fears took hold of her heart. “We’ll tell him everything later.”

The other two members of the Literature Club once again nodded in agreement, though this time their eyes remained transfixed on the doorway. The trio, without saying a word, slowly rose from their seats and crept towards the kitchen.

As they poked their heads inside the white room, the first thing they spied was the brown-haired boy pouring himself a glass of water. As the trio silently watched him, not trying to hide but too afraid to get his attention, Natsuki couldn’t help but remember the words she once said to the immortal in this very room only a few days ago.

_“And change is… change can be good.”_

After witnessing the tears wept over forty years ago, the pink-haired girl finally saw the unintended cruelty in her platitude.

Eventually, Darwin – having finished his drink – managed to spot the trio out of the corner of his eye. Setting down his glass, the immortal did his best to hide his conflicted expression.

“…Hey guys,” Darwin said as he weakly scratched the right side of his face with his index finger; his tone failing to mask his concern. “…What’d you guys get up to today?”

As the awkward silence hung in the air, Natsuki was certain that what she’d feared most had come to pass. A person she cares about, and the one who terrifies her more than any twisted creature this nightmare world has ever spawned, just had her heart broken.

Considering the drastic measures Monika took to obtain the love of her life, what would she do now that she’d lost it?

However, certain her friends were now experiencing the same fears, Natsuki did the best to mask her own. Putting on her stronger persona like it was a familiar suit of armor, the tsundere broke the tension the only way she knew how.

“…You fucked it up, didn’t you?” 

* * *

If you explore the Great Dismal Swamp late at night – which you should never, ever do – you’d be exposing yourself to a great many dangers. Yet, on this particular evening, it was the most fearsome predator to ever stalk this land who was fleeing in terror.

Scorpius, a being who predates even the earliest of man’s written word, wasn’t known for his cowardice. As his foot sloshed through the muddy ground below him, slowing his progress, the arachnoid reflected how he was as unaccustomed to this environment as he was to running away.

Yet, hearing the sets of footsteps closing in behind him, the monster knew this was a fight he couldn’t win. He’d survived the extinction of his entire race by being the only one smart enough to know when a battle wasn’t stacked in their favor. So, he continued to run.

Unfortunately, Scorpius was so preoccupied with what was behind him, that he almost didn’t see the figure obscured by the tall grass before him. Coming to a sudden halt, the first thing that caught the arachnoid beast’s attention was a familiar rainbow-stained smile.

“Hello Scorpius, we’ve been looking all over for you,” the entity said, as the multicolored fluid emanating from its body created a dark red mixture with the brown mush below. “Next time do please pick a hiding spot that isn’t so… humid.”

Scorpius simultaneously wanted to ask what the shadowy creature was doing here and take a swipe at him with his pincers. Instead, flight won over fight and the arachnoid swiftly began sprinting off to the other monster’s right.

As he continued to run, Scorpius noticed that the terrifying figure was leisurely following behind him. If not for the adrenaline pushing him forward, this would’ve made the monster pause. If this freak was working with his other pursuers, why wasn’t it joining in?

It was only when Scorpius’ right foot stepped out of the mud and into shallow water that he realized what was actually happening. He wasn’t being hunted, he was being corralled.

Before he could stop himself, the arachnoid tripped from the sudden terrain change and collapsed into the swamp. Before he could fully right himself, a literal bolt from the blue shot out from the grass and barely avoided the centuries-old killer. However, just because it didn’t hit the monster doesn’t mean his attacker missed her target.

As the electric blast struck the water, Scorpius felt every cell in his body practically scream in agony. The electrocution only lasted moments, yet his cries felt like they continued for an eternity.

Completely spent, as the corpses of every other aquatic creature bobbed to the surface, Scorpius felt two different figures grab his legs and drag him to shore. One he could tell right away, simply based on the cold – almost empty – feeling upon the arachnoid’s carapace.

The second he eventually recognized once he found the strength to move his head. It was the white-haired girl, who once rescued all those unjustly imprisoned by the immortal from their bondage.

Scorpius had many regrets due to his centuries of existence, but his current one was that he didn’t eviscerate that child when he had the chance.

“Nice shot Elli,” an unfamiliar, baritone voice said. Although the arachnoid tried to catch a glimpse of this third figure, the light of the moon – even though it shone brilliantly off Scorpius’ silver scales – did little to reveal the face of this stranger.

“Thanks for the compliment, but I’d be lying if I said I felt good about it,” the girl mumbled, as she tried to almost physically bury her head in the back of her gray hoodie. “Y’know, you could’ve stopped him with a thought. I wouldn’t have had to kill all those poor fish that way.”

“True, but your method was much more… entertaining,” the shadowy creature said, his words dripping with as much cruel energy as that mysterious fluid was from his physical form. “Besides, you didn’t just kill fish. I think you got at least one alligator too. You should be proud.”

“That’s enough you two,” the black-haired man said, as he leaned over his victim’s form. Although Scorpius thought about slaughtering the seemingly defenseless fool right where he stood, the presence of the electricity-slinging girl and the telepathic monstrosity stayed his murderous hand. “You certainly gave us quite a bit of trouble, making us chase you across three different states.”

“I want… you to know… I won’t kill you for this,” Scorpius weakly whispered, causing the man to lean in closer just to hear him. “Instead, I will… draw out your… suffering. I will turn days into… eons.”

“Well, this one is at least pretending not to be afraid of us. That’s a nice change of pace,” the man said as he stood back up, allowing the monster to see the glint of his smile in the moonlight. “Now, with this bit of business taken care of, I think we could all use a break from chasing hideous beast through disgusting terrains.”

“Oh, and what did you have in mind?” The shadowy monster asked, though the length of his grin seemed to indicate he already knew the answer.

“Hmph… we’ve been running around the surface long enough. I think it’s time we try our luck underground.”

At that moment, even though he had no idea what horror awaited him next, hearing these words almost made the sadistic arachnoid smile.


	12. Load Him

Deep in the ancient, underground bunker that the five members of the Literature Club call home, everything was quiet. Yet it was far from a peaceful tranquility, and more of an eerie silence.

In his office, the immortal owner of this unorthodox living space was sitting behind his desk, listening to music on his phone as he contemplated the future. Farther down the hall – towards the bedrooms – the kindhearted Sayori was pacing around the empty space between domiciles, her miserable mind divided over concerns for her sorrowful friend and somehow finding ways to blame herself for everyone’s troubles.

In the elegant Yuri’s room – which hasn’t seen much use since she effectively “moved into” the abode of her brash girlfriend, Natsuki – the duo simply tried to find what comfort they could in each other’s arms, frightened of the monster that lived not too far from them. Yet it was that same fear – and seeing it on her paramour’s face – that pushed the pink-haired co-vice president into action, as she brought a plan to the similarly worried leader outside.

As the trio discussed their strategy, the door to the heartbroken Monika’s room remained shut tight. What she was doing in there was anyone’s guess, but she hadn’t made her presence known for almost a whole day. Since then, Sayori didn’t stray too far from the gateway, listening in periodically out of fear for what the former club president might do in her anguish. Fortunately, the intermittent sounds of sobbing and ragged breathing – worrying though they were – at least told the coral-haired girl that their friend hadn’t done anything drastic.

Yet it wasn’t cautious whispers or muffled weeps that made today’s stillness so disconcerting. No, the unease was born from the ignorance of those who believe the scariest thing in this concrete prison was a heartbroken young lady.

Back towards Darwin’s office, inside a room rarely visited, there lied a familiar machine inside an enclosed chamber. The green behemoth known as the Digital Matter Materializer stood silently, like a giant beast lying dormant in anticipation of a momentous awakening.

On the outside, just under the reinforced glass panel between the enclosed space and the exterior hallway, was the console holding the controls responsible for the Literature Club’s existence in this reality. Yet the more interesting component was the laptop computer left on top of it, due to a certain immortal’s absentmindedness.

The personal computer, its charger still plugged into a nearby outlet, continued to remain active despite several days without use. Having been set to never turn off its display, the program window on the electronic screen continued to flash the same message:

**4/4 Items Downloaded.**

However, despite remaining unaltered for so long, the program – heralding the unexpected activation of the DMM – suddenly changed. Within seconds, as the machine roared to life, a new message appeared on the display:

**Commencing Download.**

The mechanical monstrosity made all sorts of horrific noises as it went about its macabre work; weaving muscle fibers and stitching synapses together based on the limited art assets of a visual novel. Despite the somewhat frightening method, it would’ve been almost miraculous to watch this machine work. However, a loud “clunk” emanating from the green device and a new message on the laptop screen indicated something had gone awry:

**ERROR: An Exception Has T2NjdXJyZWQuIDAuNS8xIEl0ZW1zIERvd25sb2FkZWQu**

The mechanical beast continued to issue a series of disturbing “clicks,” as if the sleeping giant was emitting its ragged, dying breaths. The “mouth” of the machine suddenly flashed a massive burst of blue light, and then fell silent once more.

When the illumination faded, a single entity stumbled out of the device and towards the window. Its vision blurry, the disoriented creature could barely even see where it was going. However, upon finishing its short trek to the other side of the room, the image it saw in the semi-reflective surface of the glass immediately confused and terrified it.

The right side of its form was vaguely humanoid, yet it was entirely blue. It lacked anything resembling clothing, while its skin had a soft glow to it, like a bioluminescent deep-sea creature.

While it did possess a (relatively) normal right leg; in place of where its arm should’ve been were three tentacle-like appendages, which wriggled disconcertingly as the entity tested these bizarre body parts. Its face was almost completely blank; save for a single, uncomfortably human eyeball, as if it was somehow too “real” for the body attached to it.

The left side, however, was actually more unusual; if only because it almost looked like that of a relatively normal high school boy. His outfit consisted of a pair of blue jeans and a white button-up shirt, which was largely obscured by a dark orange sweater, gray jacket, and red tie. Although the clothes only seemed to exist on one half of his body, they remained in place as if they were properly enveloping him.

His limbs were exactly what one would expect from a normal human being; however, the same couldn’t be said of the cranial aspect of his form. Asides from a very mundane crop of brown hair, the other distinctive features of his face were completely absent. It was as if someone plucked off his eye, nose, and mouth, leaving a blank canvas in its place.

As the creature looked upon himself, certain that something about it wasn’t right, a series of memories began to flash within his clouded mind.

The first was of a girl with eyes as blue as the sky, whom he instantly felt a fondness for, hanging from the ceiling by a rope around her neck. Then there was a different young lady, this time with hair as pink as cotton candy, whose head was unnaturally placed against her left shoulder. He then saw a purple-eyed beauty plunging a knife into her chest, each thrust causing him to recoil in shock and horror. Next was a girl with brown hair, who smiled coldly as her emerald eyes looked right through him. Finally there was only a sea of flashing neon lights and an endless cacophony of electronic screams, which they had left him in.

As the entity clasped the left side of his head in pain, he peered assuredly into the glass. Seeing the determination reflected in his single eye, the creature knew one thing for certain:

One way or another, the Literature Club will never abandon him again. 

* * *

 

The silken bedsheets caressed Monika’s form, and they felt like sandpaper against her skin. The dimmed lights illuminated her gloomy room, yet they burned her wet eyes like she was staring at the sun. Tears continued in a slow, almost endless trickle down her face, with each drop feeling like glass raking across her visage.

The former president of the Literature Club had remained still for several hours now, discounting her occasional tossing and turning. Her eyes were red and irritated from crying, while her nose was stopped up with fluid; forcing her to emit rough, exhausted breaths through her mouth.

When the emerald-eyed girl had first moved into her abode, she was presented with a lovely gift basket containing everything one might need for a new living space. Yet, despite that considerate gesture, Darwin somehow still forgot to include a box of tissues.

As the immortal’s name reentered her mind, Monika felt herself being overtaken by a new wave of sorrow. Yet, despite the pain she felt in her heart, her crying had finally ceased; as if she was all out of tears to shed.

Ever since Darwin had rejected Monika last night, she felt as if she was adrift in a world where she didn’t belong. All her friends managed to find other reasons to live their lives to the fullest in this new reality, while the brown-haired girl was so obsessed with the Player that she’d never thought beyond a future with him.

It would be normal for any young person to have such a strong reaction to rejection. However, for Monika it wasn’t just about losing the relationship she always dreamed of, it was also a loss of purpose.

The former club president’s gloomy self-reflection was interrupted by the sudden and forceful knocking against her door, which startled her given how soft and gentle previous attempts had been.

“Go away Sayori,” Monika croaked. “I don’t want to talk to anyone right now.”

“I know we’re both on the shorter side, so I understand the confusion, but I ain’t Sayori,” Natsuki sardonically replied from the other side of the closed door. “Can I come in?”

The emerald-eyed girl paused, curiosity distracting somewhat from her woes. While it made sense for their club president to be checking on Monika, given how she always put others before herself, it felt odd that the tsundere would want to see how she was holding up.

“…Fine. Door’s unlocked,” Monika answered, hearing the distinct click of the door opening just as she finished speaking.

“Huh, that’s surprising. I would’ve expected you to lock it in order to keep us out,” Natsuki casually posited as she entered the domicile.

“I guess I was just relying on you guys respecting my privacy,” the emerald-eyed girl replied as she sat upright, in an attempt to show her guest some form of courtesy.

“Oh wow, you look like shit,” the co-vice president bluntly stated upon spying Monika’s messy hair and incomplete outfit, as if she tried to get ready for the day but gave up partway through.

“Gee, thanks,” the gloomy girl responded, though the frankness of the comment actually caused the corner of her mouth to curl into a smirk. “Do you enjoy kicking people while they’re down?”

“It’s one of my hobbies,” Natsuki said as she found herself a seat atop the other girl’s bed. “…So, how are you feeling?”

“About as good as I look,” Monika replied, eliciting a chuckle from both of them. “I um… I just really don’t know what I’m going to do with myself now. I know it’s stupid, hinging my entire emotional state on what some guy thinks of me, but I just–”

“Yeah, I’m gonna stop you right there,” the pink-haired girl interrupted, catching the taller one off-guard. “Look, Monika, you’re… technically my friend and I do care about you to some extent. But, given that you made me snap my own neck over the same guy you’re crying about… well, I’m probably not the best person to talk to about all this. So, I’m not here because I’m worried for you; I’m here because I’m worried… about you.”

Although Monika couldn’t help but be a little hurt by her friend’s statement, she also couldn’t claim that her concern was unjust. A part of the emerald-eyed girl was hoping to unashamedly confide in the person she shares a unique dynamic with, much the same way she had for her pink-haired companion during their earlier underwater adventure. Still, Monika knew she didn’t have a right to force Natsuki to listen to her whimpering, so she did her best to put her own worries aside and address those of her fellow club member’s.

“…I guess that’s fair,” the sorrowful girl sniffled, while lying back down on the bed and turning her face away from her friend. “I’m not going to harm any of you guys. I’m… hurt and miserable, and I want to tear this whole stupid reality apart… but I made a promise not to act on those impulses, and I aim to keep it. So you don’t need to worry about me…”

“…Good to know,” the co-vice president hesitantly replied. As her eyes stared blankly at the headboard, Monika only knew Natsuki had left due to the feeling of her dismounting from the mattress and the sound of her footsteps. “Alright Sayori, you’re up.”

Hearing this final comment, the emerald-eyed girl sat up just in time to watch the coral-haired girl take the place of her previous guest. Sayori’s right hand contained something wrapped in white paper, which emitted a delicious aroma that emanated throughout the room. In her left hand was a brown plastic brush, the same kind that Monika created with Darwin on their first night in the bunker, and the memory conjured by the sight of it caused a sob that she managed to catch in her throat.

“Hey… is it okay if I come in?” The president of the Literature Club asked, her precious smile contrasting with her worried expression.

“…I mean, you’re already inside,” the sorrowful girl said with a chuckle, pushing her grief down enough to be able to speak. “Make yourself at home…”

Sayori walked over to the bed, and basically took the same spot Natsuki had been sitting in mere moments ago. Fiddling with the brush in her hand, the coral-haired girl tried to think of the best thing to say, before eventually passing the wrapped package to her friend.

“Y-y’know, it was actually Natsuki’s idea that I should be here. I didn’t want to bother you, but she figured you shouldn’t be alone right now,” Sayori’s words surprised Monika, as they didn’t seem to match with the shorter girls’ earlier behavior. Turning her attention to the hallway, the emerald-eyed girl managed to catch Yuri and her paramour staring into her room with concerned expressions, though Natsuki swiftly looked away once she realized Monika had spotted her.

“Heh, ever the tsundere,” the heartbroken girl stated once the door automatically closed. Feeling the warmth of the item in her hand, the emerald-eyed girl unwrapped the package and found a tasty looking sandwich containing two strips of bacon, cheese, and a scrambled egg between a buttery croissant.

“I… don’t know what that means,” Sayori replied, confused, to which Monika simply responded with a dismissive shake of her head before taking a bite of her late breakfast. Its flavor was like a beacon of light in a sea of despair, and definitely the highest point of her day.

The blue-eyed girl pointed to the brush in her hand, wordlessly asking if she could straighten her companion’s messy mane. After a moment of consideration, Monika turned her back to Sayori as an indication of her nonverbal permission.

As she felt the plastic tips run through her hair, the former club president contemplated how fortunate she was to have these three girls in her life. A few minutes prior, she’d never felt more alone and isolated. Yet, the trio Monika had caused so much harm to in the past continued to show her far more compassion than she knew she deserved.

“So… I’m sure you’re feeling pretty crummy today,” Sayori said, causing the emerald-eyed girl to emit the combination of a chuckle and a grateful sob, all while the president of the Literature Club continued to fix Monika’s disorderly hair. “I just want you to know… I’m here. We’ve got all the time in the world to talk about it.”

The sorrowful girl let out a conflicted sigh, uncertain how to respond to this kind act. On the one hand, recalling the meaning behind the “Bottles” poem from the game, Monika knew how taxing it was for Sayori to be there for someone else. Yet, the coral-haired girl came to her and offered to help, and the heartbroken woman truly needed her right now.

“I mean… I know it’s dumb…” Monika began, swallowing her pride and making the difficult choice to let someone to truly see her, vulnerabilities and all. “…But…”

* * *

As Darwin reclined in his chair, twirling the headphone cable between his fingers, he did his best to ignore how quiet it was today. Even with electronic music blaring in his ears, it seemed like nothing could drown out the eerie silence that hung over him. The ever-present buzzing of the lights overhead only seemed to punctuate how empty his home sounded right now.

This fixation on the noise was just one of the immortal’s recent attempts to distract his brain from the worried thoughts that threatened to overwhelm his mind. Last night, when Darwin stammered out an explanation to the other members of the Literature Club about what happened, they became so wrapped up in their own concerns that they seemingly forgot he was in the same room as them.

This morning, rather than actually risk talking to anyone, the immortal simply made a beeline straight for his office. Like a coward, he kept telling himself. Yet, what was he supposed to do? What was he supposed to say to the four girls whom he brought into this terrifying reality and then upended what little of the life they’d built for themselves?

Obviously, the distractions weren’t working.

Darwin’s heart skipped a beat when he felt the unexpected touch of a finger poking his right shoulder. Startled, the brown-eyed boy sat up and swiftly turned his head, only to spy the bright pink hair of Natsuki; her mouth forming words that he couldn’t hear over his tunes.

“Wait, hold on!” The immortal shouted louder than he intended, before pressing the pause button on his phone’s screen and removing his earbuds. “S-sorry, what were you saying?”

“Damn dude, you’re gonna lose your hearing listening to music that loud… or is that something you can heal from?” The co-vice president pondered before shaking her head, remembering her reason for being here. “A-anyways, I just wanted to check on you. See how you’re holding up.”

“I appreciate that,” Darwin replied, somewhat dejectedly, as he placed his phone on the wooden table in front of him. “Especially considering I may have ruined everything.”

“Heh, that’s a bit dramatic,” Natsuki said before taking a seat atop the immortal’s desk.

“You literally told me I fucked up last night,” the brown-haired boy retorted, a wry smirk replacing his downcast expression.

“Well, yeah, I meant the date. Not, like, everything,” the pink-haired girl responded, giving her friend a good-natured punch in the shoulder. “Nice job with the fireworks by the way. I heard about them on the news this morning; it’s a miracle nobody got hurt from all the distracted drivers that caused.”

“...Oops,” Darwin muttered, as he scratched the right side of his face out of embarrassment, causing Natsuki to chuckle in response. “Anyways, asides from feeling foolish and… guilty, I’m fine… H-how’s Monika doing? Have you spoken with her at all today?”

“Eh… she’ll live,” the tsundere coldly answered with a shrug of her shoulders. “I mean, I get why she’s upset, but I honestly think she’s being a little ridiculous.”

“Heh, maybe… I still kinda led her on though,” the brown-eyed boy mumbled. “Even outside of dating etiquette, being dishonest with a friend is a really shitty thing to do…”

“Yeah… I know what you mean,” Natsuki replied, memories of her own sins brought to mind by the immortal’s words. Steeling herself, the pink-haired girl decided to get the real reason she wanted to talk to Darwin over with. “H-hey, so, there’s something I need to tell you. I– that is, we – the other members of the Literature Club – we were… uh…”

“You guys were snooping around my room, found my memory journal, and figured out why Ace and I aren’t on great terms anymore?” The brown-eyed boy unexpectantly said as the co-vice president fumbled with her confession, causing her eyes to widen in surprise. “Yeah… I figured it yesterday.”

“…Oh,” Natsuki muttered, confusion overriding her guilt and concern. “…Why didn’t you say anything?

“Well, that’s more my stupid, scattered brain’s fault more than anything. I kept getting distracted by… everything that happened, so I kept forgetting,” Darwin explained as he leaned forward in his seat, bracing himself against the desk for support. “The only reason I even found out was you guys put the wooden panel in my dresser on backwards, and the security recording left a notification of viewing the footage on my computer. Kinda told me everything I needed to know.”

“…Guess I don’t have to explain what happened at least,” the pink-haired girl said with a nervous and guilty chuckle. “I’m… I’m really sorry about everything. We all are. It was super shitty of us to invade your privacy like that.”

“Yeah, it kinda was… but don’t worry about it,” the immortal replied, his quick forgiveness catching Natsuki off-guard. “I should’ve told you guys everything from the beginning. It’s just... heh, there’s always so much to tell. I don’t even know where I would’ve start… Never mind; I’m just sorry I didn’t make it feel like you guys could ask me about all this… I’m sorry I haven’t made it feel like you guys can trust me.”

“…Well, I’ll let it slide this time, but don’t screw it up again!” The tsundere humorously said in her usual standoffish tone. Caught unprepared, the brown-haired boy couldn’t help chuckling at her efforts to lighten the mood, causing the shorter girl to join in his jollity.

How strange it is that – out of all the girls brought into this reality – it was Natsuki who felt the strongest connection to Darwin, and he to her. That might explain why, when the immortal asked the following question, his smile remained.

“Heh… so, by the way, there’s still one thing I haven’t figured out,” the brown-eyed boy said, as their laughter finally died down. “How were you guys able to view the footage in the lounge? I didn’t think you guys knew how to set up the TV to do that, and the security camera weirdly shorted out before it started playing...”

“Oh, well, that definitely weird,” Natsuki replied, uncertain what that bit of information meant. “Anyways, we didn’t do anything. Cynthia played it for us.”

Upon hearing this explanation, Darwin’s smile vanished. He didn’t look angry or concerned, just confused; as if what his friend was saying was somehow impossible.

“Natsuki, that… that doesn’t make any sense,” the immortal said, the strain of trying to understand this situation seemingly causing him actual mental pain. “Cynthia isn’t–”

As Darwin was beginning his sentence, the overhead lamps suddenly died and were almost instantly replaced with red-tinted emergency lighting. Before either of them could question what was going on, a sudden force rushed past Natsuki so fast that it knocked her off the table. All she could see before hitting the ground was a blue blur and strands of brown hair.

Upon impacting the floor, Natsuki’s mind struggled to comprehend what just happened. As she groggily turned her head towards the direction the force was moving, the pink-haired girl spied Darwin being dragged into one of the open hallways by three glowing tentacles – one wrapped around his mouth – before he vanished into the darkness.

As her eyes widened and a sense of understanding dawned on her, Natsuki scrambled to her feet and ran down another hallway. Although she felt terrible leaving Darwin alone with whatever that thing was, the only logical thought her brain could conjure in this state of panic was to flee.

Sprinting as fast as her legs could move her, the Natsuki’s only concern was finding her other friends. As the echo of her footsteps in the concrete hallway drowned out the sound of her ragged breathing, her frightened mind made her aware of a single, painful realization:

Once again, Natsuki no longer felt safe in her own home.

* * *

The first thought Yuri had when the lights died was one of annoyance; as there was no way she could complete this chapter with the limited visibility she currently had. Her second thought was a more reasonable one of curiosity and concern.

Placing the tome on her desk, the purple-haired girl cautiously stood up from her chair and made her way towards the outside hallways. Upon opening the door to her room, Yuri swiftly spotted two familiar shapes exiting the abode opposite hers.

“Sayori, Monika? I presume that’s you…” the gothic beauty replied as her eyes started to adjust to the low level of light, though the harsh color didn’t make it easy.

“Yeah, it’s us. What the hell just happened?” The former club president groggily, but still with a worried tone, asked as Sayori held her hand and lead them into the connecting space. Although Yuri could’ve sworn she saw an additional hint of redness on the coral-haired girl’s face, she presumed this was just the lighting playing tricks on her eyes.

“I’m afraid I’m just as lost as you are,” the taller woman replied as she reopened the door to her room. “One moment, I may have something that can assist… us…”

Yuri’s quickly noticed that her explanation was being drowned out by the rapidly approaching sound of footsteps coming from down the hall. The trio turned their heads and immediately spotted the familiar form of Natsuki rushing towards them. By the time the shortest member of the Literature Club had arrived, she was sprinting so fast that the rubber soles of her sneakers almost made a skidding sound when she came to a sudden halt.

“Guys! Monster… Darwin… taken…” the pink-haired girl tried to speak, but her exhausted breaths only allowed for whatever keywords she managed to sputter out. “Oh man… I’m really out of shape… I really wish I wasn’t figuring this out right now…”

“Darwin’s been kidnapped by another monster?!” Sayori asked, her voice a mixture of both concern and annoyance. “At least this one’s not underwater…”

“Natsuki, take a second to catch your breath, and then tell us everything,” Monika instructed, surprisingly calm given the circumstances.

“Afraid there isn’t… much to tell…” the shorter girl replied, her panicked gasps starting to die down. “The lights just went out, and then this blue… tentacle thing knocked me on my ass. By the time I realized what was going on, it was already gone.”

“Hmm, doesn’t give us much to go with,” the former president of the Literature Club mumbled, as she placed her left index finger against her chin in contemplation. “I guess we’ll just have to follow the same plan as last time. We need to get to the office and use the computer to track where the monster took him.”

“You want us to go back there?!” Natsuki shouted, indicating the return of her full strength. “I– Look, I don’t want to leave him with that… thing either, but last time something like this happened we almost died! Maybe we should play this a little smarter and just get out of here first, then call APART for help.”

“That’s… probably a good idea,” the emerald-eyed girl said, further shocking everyone with her compliance, though her expression betrayed her reluctance. “…What do you think Sayori?”

“O-oh, me? Uh… well…” the club president responded, unprepared for her leadership role as always. “…Let’s make sure we can get out of here first. We’ll figure out what to do from there.”

“If that’s our strategy, I believe these will aid us in our endeavor,” the group – having been lost in their own conversation – only now noticed the two flashlights Yuri retrieved from her room, each of which she proudly held up in her hands. “Rule number one for surviving a horror story: always be prepared.”

“…Have you… how long have you had these?” Natsuki asked as her girlfriend passed one of the electronic torches to her.

“A-ah, well, after the Abysmal situation I may have… borrowed these from Darwin’s office, just in case something similar ever occurred here,” the purple-haired girl explained as she turned on her flashlight, while her paramour did the same.

“Nice thinking Yuri,” Monika replied as the gothic girl pointed her torch down the hallway. “Now, whatever happens, make sure we stick to–”

The emerald-eyed girl’s cautious words came to a halt when she noticed the looks on her friends’ faces. Their visages were frozen in stunned expressions, while their eyes were wide with fright. Monika turned her head towards the hall, and immediately understood why.

Though their portable lamps were barely cutting through the red haze, they made it just visible enough that the Literature Club could spy the creature several feet away from them. Its blue tendrils were glowing a dull purple at this distance, while the other half of his form only became visible once it started getting closer.

“O-oh… oh my god,” Sayori muttered as she started to move towards the monster, shocking the other girls out of their stupor. “…Edward?”

The creature stopped, recognizing that word even if he didn’t understand what it meant. Squinting with his singular eye, the entity swore something about the person before him was familiar; from the errant strands of hair to the oversized bow. Yet, from his point of view, all he truly saw before him was a shape made up of ones and zeroes.

“W-what are you doing?! Get away from that thing!” Natsuki called out, though her body was too frightened to move even an inch towards the club president. She turned back to her taller friends, looking for support, yet all she saw was Yuri’s curious gaze and Monika’s absolutely haunted expression.

“D-don’t worry! I-I think it’s really him!” The coral-haired girl replied as tears started to form in her eyes, while a hopeful smile spread across her face. “Do… do you remember me? Edward, it’s me… It’s Sayori.”

Upon hearing this name, feeling an even stronger attachment to it than the other, the creature paused just in front of the blue-eyed girl. He was certain he knew her, and that she knew him. Yet, even when she gently took his hand in her own, he still couldn’t look past all those numbers. Trying to see through them only caused his incomplete mind to ache.

“See guys, it’s okay! He’s okay!” The president of the Literature Club called out, as she excitedly grasped his digits with her other hand. “It’s okay Edward! W-whatever’s happened to you, we’ll fix it! I-I’m just so glad you’re h–”

Before the blue-eyed girl could finish her sentence, the monster swiftly wrapped his tendrils around her left leg, torso, and the back of her head before the other three even had a chance to react. Then Sayori began to scream, emitting a bloodcurdling shriek so loud it would’ve shattered glass.

Where the monster touched her, Sayori’s body began to – for lack of a better description – pixilate, as if she was an image on a computer being compressed. It wasn’t hard to guess how painful this was, given the poor girl’s cries. Despite the fact that he wouldn’t release her, even the monster’s eye seemed to have widened in shock over what was occurring.

About four seconds of this passed before the horrible sound finally unfroze Monika’s terrified form. Springing forward – her visage a blank, almost numb, expression – the emerald-eyed girl slammed her fist into the human side of Edward’s face with every ounce of might her mortal form possessed. Although her five-foot-three frame wasn’t exactly endowed with strength, the impact was enough to knock the creature away from Sayori.

As the monster stumbled back, Monika’s body froze up once more; realizing she hadn’t thought past the first punch. Edward, however, didn’t make a move to retaliate. While his human leg tried to drag him away, the three tentacles continued to reach out to Sayori, as if they had a mind of their own.

While Natsuki and Yuri moved to the coral-haired girl’s side, Edward eventually inched far enough away that the tendrils finally fell to his side. Having regained full control of his body, the monster fled back down the dimly lit hallway.

Monika almost thought to follow him, figuring he may lead her to Darwin. Yet, instead, her first act was to instead respond to Sayori’s distressed vocalizations. Turning to her friend, the emerald-eyed girl’s heart dropped into her stomach the moment she saw the impossible thing plaguing her club president.

The pixilated areas where the monster had touched Sayori were starting to dissipate, leaving an empty space where they once were. As if that wasn’t disconcerting enough, the effect was swiftly spreading to the rest of her body.

“W-what’s happening to me?!” The coral-haired girl cried as she watched her own hands disintegrate right before her eyes. “Make it stop!”

No one was certain who Sayori issued that command to, if it was even directed at anyone in particular. Yet Natsuki and Yuri still turned to Monika, as if they somehow expected her to know what to do. Yet, despite her expertise in the digital realm, she was left speechless over what – if anything – could be done to help the first person she ever hurt.

As more and more of Sayori’s body broke apart, she was soon reduced to little more than an ever-dwindling series of floating pieces. What was left of the blue-eyed girl’s visage shifted from shock to a mix of fear and sorrow, as the tears rolling down her cheeks vanished before they even hit the ground.

“I-it’s not fair! This isn’t how I wanted to go …” Sayori said, much more softly, as what remained of her arms attempted to wrap themselves around her torso. “I-I know I tried t-to… I just… There’s still so much I want to do!”

There was such finality to her words, that everyone else started crying too. Yuri did her best to remain stoic, yet tears streamed down her cheeks all the same. Natsuki, gritting her teeth and gripping her skirt, did her best to hold back the sobs that threatened to overcome her. Monika, however, lacked the restraint to stop herself from softly weeping, as she stared at what remained of the girl she once pushed to end it all in what felt like a lifetime ago.

“I never got to write a book. I-I never got to have my first kiss,” the coral-haired girl sobbed and closed her only eye, as all that remained of her form was the right side of her head and chest. The trio watched helplessly, each one afraid to even place a comforting hand on what was left of her shoulders for fear of exacerbating whatever was happening. “I never… I’ll never have the chance to get married or have kids. Oh… oh god, I never even got to tell–”

“W-wait! Sayori, look!” Natsuki cried out, cutting the other girl off from her list of regrets. When Sayori raised her eyelids, she realized that her vision was no longer restricted to one eye.

Looking herself over, Sayori watched in amazement as the missing parts of her body started to reform. The pixilated bits seemingly materialized out of thin air; eventually returning everything to its proper shape, as if it had never been missing in the first place. The coral-haired girl continued to hesitantly press against her form, making sure that everything was really still there.

“W-what… I don’t understand what just happened,” Sayori bluntly and fearfully admitted as everyone wiped the tears from their respective eyes. “I mean, I’m definitely glad I’m not dead, but still… H-how did Edward do that?”

“W-well presumably, since we were all made flesh from raw data, that… creature’s touch must have that ability to undo the original transmutation,” Yuri offered, although she swiftly blushed and began running her fingers through her hair after she spoke. “O-of course, that’s merely speculation, and it doesn’t exactly explain how you were able to reverse it…”

“I mean… you were getting pretty sad there by the end. Maybe strong emotions help… ground you?” Natsuki offered, though she seemed frustrated with herself at how little that made sense. “Ah hell, I don’t know. I wish Darwin were here, I’m sure he could super-science his way to an explanation.”

“Wait… Natsuki, when you saw that thing grab Darwin earlier, did it look like whatever he did to Sayori was happening to him too?” Monika swiftly asked.

“Well, it happened really fast… but I don’t think so,” the pink-haired girl answered.

“Alright, that would at least confirm Yuri’s theory. Which means… Darwin will have to wait,” the former president of the Literature Club answered, surprising everyone with her out-of-character statement. “Our top priority right now is getting the hell out of here.”

“A-are you sure Monika?” Sayori asked, seemingly unconcerned the former president was taking the lead once again.

“Absolutely. I’m not going to give that thing another chance to hurt any of you,” Monika replied, placing a hand on Sayori’s shoulder. The coral-haired girl smiled and slightly blushed, seemingly out of pride that her friend was finally putting her fellow club members ahead of the guy she liked.

The four girls turned to the hallway, which remained ominously dark even in the red lighting. Although each of the four girls were anxious to venture into that unknown void, they knew it had to be done.

Once again, the oddities of this reality had thrust them into danger. Only this time, it was something from their own world that threatened them now. With their glow of their flashlights leading the way, the four terrified girls drew what strength they could from each other’s presence and took their hesitant steps forward.

And thus began the story of the end of the Literature Club.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been a while since I've actually written one of these. Feels weird.
> 
> Anyways, this installment was originally supposed to have more content but, much like the very first chapter, I figured it would be better to split it into two smaller segments.
> 
> Also, I can't believe how close we are to the end of this arc. I wanted to take a second and thank everyone's who's stuck with me on this journey. I hope it's been as enjoyable for you guys to read as it has been for me to write!


	13. Delete Them

“Okay, I tried it like a gazillion times. The elevator’s definitely out.”

Sayori’s message was dire news to the remaining members of the Literature Club, who were already in a tense enough situation as is. Not only were they being hunted by a digital abomination that looked a former friend – and their immortal companion was nowhere to be found – but now they couldn’t even leave the bunker; which once felt like the only safe place in a terrifyingly insane world.

As the coral-haired girl lingered outside the entrance to Darwin’s office, her words had almost fallen on deaf ears. Monika was attempting to activate the desktop computer, but her frustrated expression made it clear how little luck she was having. Yuri, on the other hand, was swiftly rifling through the contents of every filing cabinet; looking for anything that might help them in their current predicament. Natsuki, however – as the only one not too engrossed in her task – ceased messing with her cellphone in order to respond to her club president.

“Fuck, seriously?” Natsuki muttered as she nervously chewed the nail on her trembling thumb. “…Do you think maybe if you tried it a gazillion and one times?”

“Hold on, let me check,” Sayori replied as she ducked past the corner again. From her seat, the pink-haired girl could distinctly hear the tapping of departing footsteps, the multiple clicks of a plastic button, and then the familiar sound of those same footsteps returning. “Nope, still didn’t work.”

“Damn it, and I’m not getting any cell reception either,” Natsuki griped before dejectedly placing her phone down on a nearby chair. “You two having any better luck?”

“Not much I’m afraid,” Monika replied before pressing the ‘Enter’ key for the umpteenth time and then emitting an annoyed sigh. “Even though the computer seems to still be on – which is shocking considering the power’s out – it won’t let me log in.”

“Did you enter the same password?” The pink-eyed girl asked as she and the coral-haired joined the former club president’s side. “In case you need a reminder, it should be ‘password.’”

“Yup, tried that,” Monika mumbled as she rubbed her chin with the side of her right index finger. “…Do you think Darwin changed passwords?”

“Doubt it. I’d be surprised if he even knows how to change his underwear,” Natsuki’s joke caused the emerald-eyed girl to suddenly snort out a laugh; a reaction that surprised everyone, considering. “…Anyways, given that us guessing it ultimately resulted in us rescuing him from Abysmal, I don’t think he’d change it without telling us… unless he forgot.”

“Hmm, good point. Well, since we’re still stuck here for now, we’ll have to find another way to track Darwin down,” the club president stated as she began formulating a new plan. “…Oh, right! Have you found anything helpful Yuri?”

“A-as a matter of fact, I believe I have,” the ever-bashful woman was standing awkwardly near the filing cabinets until Sayori called her over, not wanting to interrupt their conversation. As she approached the group, Yuri delicately placed a small pile of papers on top of the desk, the first of which appeared to be a blueprint. “I believe I’ve found us a pseudo-map, which may aid in discerning where Darwin has been taken.”

“Heh, that’s my babe. Always the best at finding stuff,” Natsuki said with a toothy grin, as the gothic girl’s face erupted in a bright blush that even the red emergency lighting couldn’t hide.

“That’s, ah… very specific praise,” Yuri replied, as embarrassed as she was confused.

“Wait, guys, check this out,” Sayori said, ignoring the cutesy couple, as she pointed out a room on the map located near the office. “This is the hallway Natsuki saw Darwin get taken down, but it leads to a dead end. So, does that mean he’s still in there?”

“Well, he could be… but take a look at this,” Monika instructed as she illuminated a faded aspect of the blueprint with one of the flashlights. “There’s some sort entrance in that room for an ‘access tunnel,’ which runs throughout the entire bunker… and this one part leads to an ‘emergency access panel!’ I think we just found our way out!”

“…Well, at least we know where to start, even if we still have to deal with that… monster,” the pink-haired girl said while rolling up the blueprint, unknowingly grabbing a second sheet of paper along with it. “Well, whatever that thing is clearly doesn’t have any sort of plan. Plus, at least we know we can hit it now. On the human half, anyways.”

“I… I still don’t think Edward’s doing this deliberately!” The coral-haired girl protested, much to the concern of her fellow club members. “I mean, he seemed just as surprised by what happened as we did! And I know he recognized me!”

“Look, Sayori, I understand where you’re coming from. Edward was my friend too,” Natsuki replied, trying to sound patient even though this clearly wasn’t the first time this topic had come up. “But I was a little too busy watching you get IRL deleted to notice how that thing reacted to almost erasing you from existence!”

“Besides, we don’t know if that thing was really Edward,” Monika added. Though her response was measured, her tone indicated more frustration than her words implied. “It’s not as if he even had a character file like we did. For all we know, that could just be some kind of homunculus made up of assets from the game.”

“He certainly seemed… incomplete. He didn’t even have a face…” Yuri mumbled, though the annoyed look she spotted on Sayori’s visage made the gothic girl immediately regret her utterance.

“W-well, even so, he definitely came from the game and he’s probably even more scared and confused than we were! Besides, Edward was a part of the Literature Club too. If it is him, we can’t just–” the coral-haired girl’s tirade came to a sudden halt when her eyes caught something that clearly confused her.

Following her line of sight, the other three members of the Literature Club spotted the camera mounted to the ceiling. Although it was difficult to see, the little red indicator was definitely on, indicating the device was still recording.

“I-isn’t the power supposed to be out?” Sayori asked, her confoundment swiftly turning to fright.

“First the computer, now the cameras…” Monika muttered as she rose from her seat. “What the hell is going on?”

“Uh, guys?” Natuski whispered as a skittering sound became clearly audible directly above her. “I t-think I figured out what the access tunnels are f–”

Just as the pink-haired girl was about to finish her sentence, the ceiling panels suddenly retracted, much faster than they had in the past. Before anyone had a chance to react, multiple spider-bots began pouring out of the holes. Their metallic carapaces shined menacingly in the crimson light, which only made their unexpected appearance all the more terrifying to the group’s resident arachnophobe.

As if sensing her fear, the swarm of spider-bots landed on Natsuki and held fast onto her limbs, despite the pink-haired girl’s panicked struggling. Just as Yuri ran over to try and free her paramour, the arachnids hoisted her into the air while their mechanical spinnerets began to retract the nearly invisible threads emanating from them.

It all happened so fast that Natsuki didn’t even have time to scream before she vanished into the impromptu opening within the ceiling. The gothic woman stood in place, dumbfounded and petrified after witnessing her girlfriend disappear. Then, to everyone’s horror, a second wave of the machines scuttled out of their hiding space and descended right above where Sayori was standing.

Without thinking, Monika suddenly threw herself atop the club president, shielding her from the abducting arachnids. The spider-bots, seemingly unconcerned with who they took, grabbed onto the emerald-eyed girl and began their ascent.

“Monika!” Sayori cried out, as the full weight of what happening finally reached her brain. “W-what do we do?!”

“Don’t worry about us! Run! Find Darwin!” The brown-haired girl called out as she fruitlessly struggled against her captors’ grip. “…And then worry about us!”

The duo still on the ground, realizing there was little they could do to help their friends, made their exit down the unexplored hallway as the next swarm of spider-bots gave chase. The remaining mechanical arachnids finished dragging Monika into the access tunnel, then swiftly left to join their brethren.

In the confined space, the emerald-eyed girl did her best to crawl towards the exit. Unfortunately, just as she got within reach, the hatch swiftly started to close.

As the red light emanating from the office was obscured, the darkness of the new surroundings claimed Monika’s sight. 

* * *

 

“Are you okay?”

Natsuki knew that the form next to her belonged to Monika. Her voice was easily recognizable. Yet she couldn’t answer her question; fear had stolen the pink-haired girl’s voice.

The metal chamber the duo found themselves in was positively frigid, and only the adrenaline running through their brains was keeping them warm at this point. The tunnel was also lacking any form of a light source, severely limiting the two girls’ visibility.

The co-vice president’s arms were wrapped firmly around her legs, while the rest of her body was as unmoving as a statue. Despite her awareness that the spider-bots could return at any moment, she couldn’t will herself to move.

Monika silently hovered over her shoulder, uncertain what to say to her frightened friend. Once her eyes adjusted to the darkness, Natsuki noticed how the former club president’s face was obviously twisted in concern. Despite every justifiably mean thing the shorter girl had said to Monika, she still cared.

Her inner-selflessness winning out over her petrification, Natsuki decided to assuage her friend’s worries the best she could, even if her terror remained obvious.

“I… I think I’d like to live somewhere else,” the pink-eyed girl muttered, causing Monika to sigh with relief. “L-like, even if it means there’s no one to clean for us. I can deal with that.”

“Heh, I think that’s fair,” the former club president said as she tried to take a seat next to Natsuki, though the limited space made it impossible for her to sit upright. “Man, this is one of the rare instances where you really benefit from being short.”

“S-screw you, b-bitch!” Natsuki retorted, her mouth curling into a smirk. “…Why do you think those things brought us here?”

“Not a clue… I guess to separate the four of us? They certainly didn’t stick around to hurt anyone…” Monika stated, although she didn’t seem fully convinced by her own theory. “…Are you going to be okay?”

“…Enough to function, I guess,” the pink-haired girl decided, as she took a few calming breaths. Natsuki looked to her hands; in her panic, the tsundere’s white-knuckle grip prevented her from dropping the flashlight and blueprint. “Okay, so we know we’re in the access tunnels. Let’s see where–”

However, upon unfolding the impromptu map, the second piece of paper that’d been accidentally taken fell to the ground. Once Monika had grabbed and spread the errant document, Natsuki swiftly shined the active flashlight onto it.

“What the…” the emerald-haired girl said as she saw the contents of the piece of paper. It was another blueprint, but this time of a familiar device. “Huh, these look like the original plans for the DMM.”

“Yeah, cool… unhelpful th–” Natsuki began, before noticing something peculiar.

The document was about what you’d expect for this kind of material; filled with technical specs and basic designs. Bizarrely, however, in the bottom right corner was a black-and-white doodle of Monika that was drawn to scale with the opening of the DMM. Next to it, a small note had been scrawled in black ink, reading: “Chamber must be at least 5 feet 3 inches.”

“That’s… weird,” the pink-haired girl mumbled; her eyebrow raised quizzically. “Yuri’s taller than you. Why’re you used as a reference?”

“Maybe I was just on his mind,” the former club president posited, causing Natsuki to shoot her an annoyed look. “Right, sorry. Maybe that’s a question for another time though? We’ve kinda got a lot on our plates right now.”

“Ah, good point,” the shorter girl admitted as she swapped one blueprint for another, placing the detailed layout of the bunker before them. “Okay, so we’re above the office. We need to go… wait, which way are we facing?”

“Um… I think we’re…” Monika started to say as she craned her head towards the dark pathway behind her, before sighing with frustration and looking back towards Natsuki. “…Completely turned around. Alright, I guess we’ll just need to pick a direction and–”

The former president of the Literature Club’s words became caught in her throat and her eyes widened with fright upon noticing the faint blue glow at the other end of the tunnel. Given that she couldn’t see anything else, the source of the glow must have been coming from around a corner.

“…Go. W-we need to go,” Monika whispered, causing Natsuki to look to her right as well. Upon seeing the same threat her friend spied, the pink-haired girl sharply inhaled and primed herself to crawl like she’d never crawled before. “Quickly. Quietly.”

Natsuki nodded in agreement and turned off her flashlight, folding the blueprint of the bunker in-between her right arm, as the duo slowly made their way in the opposite direction. Due to their limited movement, every inch of progress took what felt like an eternity to obtain. While they tried to move as quietly as possible, each of the poor girls’ hearts threatened to burst every time their hands hit the metal floor below them a little too loudly.

Although she initially fought against the instinctive desire to look back, Monika couldn’t help finally taking a quick peek. Hearing the friend slightly behind her cease moving, Natsuki made the same mistake.

Surprisingly, there was nothing behind them. In fact, the light wasn’t even there anymore. Monika let out a sigh of relief and resumed facing towards her destination. Her heart plummeted into her stomach, however, upon noticing that horrible blue glow was now coming from a corner very close to them.

The worse part though was that it’s getting brighter, and Natsuki still hadn’t turned around.

“Look out!” Monika cried out too late, giving her friend just enough of a warning to turn and see the three tentacles rounding the corner, which immediately latched onto the pink-haired girl’s left wrist.

Natsuki’s sudden screams reverberated throughout the metal enclosure, startling her companion almost more than the light had. The monster eventually poked its head around the corner, its sole eye conveying confusion over what was occurring.

However, before any of them had a chance to fully react, the floor underneath Edward suddenly gave way. As the monster fell out of the enclosed hallway, he lost his grip on Natsuki’s arm too. Once the last vestige of the creature disappeared, the panels swiftly returned to their original places.

Monika didn’t even take a moment to ponder why the floor had stolen Edward from them, as her highest priority immediately became Natsuki’s wellbeing. The poor girl was undergoing the same process that Sayori endured. The tsundere’s eyes were wide with fright as her hands and legs began to break down into rapidly dispersing data.

“O-oh fuck f-fuck fuck!” Natsuki stammered, her breathing becoming rapid as more and more of her body disappeared. “W-what do I do?!”

“Say something emotional!” The emerald-eyed girl responded, lacking any other plan.

“O-okay. Uh… oh god, I want to live! It can’t end like this! I never had a c-chance to–” The pink-haired girl unconvincingly droned, becoming more and more distressed when her efforts caused no change in her deterioration. “It’s not fucking working!”

“Don’t just repeat what Sayori said!” Monika retorted. “Say something honest!”

“I… I’m–” Natsuki tried to speak, but the rapidly approaching threat of nonexistence overrode her capacity for logical thought.

The emerald-eyed girl watched, frustrated and helpless, fearful that – even after watching one friend find her way back from oblivion – she was still going to lose someone. As Natsuki was deleted bit by bit from this reality, Monika recalled how coldly and calmly she had once done the same thing. Was this what it felt like for the shorter girl then too? Was she just as scared?

At that moment, the former president of the Literature Club became inexplicably determined. She couldn’t let this happen to Natsuki again. She wouldn’t. Although her only plan was a longshot, and it might only make her friend’s final moments all the more agonizing, it was a risk she knew needed to be taken.

“Natsuki, listen to me,” Monika firmly commanded, grabbing hold of the panicked girl’s attention. “You’re about to no longer exist. Quit thinking about how to stop that. Just say what you don’t want to be left unsaid. No matter what it is, good or bad, just let it out.”

“I d-don’t… I don’t know–” Natsuki froze upon seeing how little of her body was left. All that remained was a meager portion of the left side of her body.

Under ordinary circumstances, the tsundere might’ve had a biting comment about the oddity of her friend’s comment. Yet right now she was too frightened to think like that. In fact, she was too frightened for anything.

“Fucking say something! Say everything!” Monika frantically screamed as what’s left of Natsuki began to decay.

“What do you want me to say?! I can’t… I’m so fucking useless!” The pink-haired girl finally cried out, as she closed her eyes and she began to sob. “I couldn’t protect my mom from my dad! I… I found Yuri dead on the floor because I couldn’t protect her from you! We almost lost Sayori because I wasn’t brave enough to protect her either! I… I’m so fucking weak… and small…”

 As Natsuki let her stream of consciousness speak for her, so too did she allow a stream of fat tears flow off of her face. Each drop made a loud impact upon the metal floor, which reverberated within the chamber along with the sounds of her weeping.

However, upon realizing that her tears weren’t dissipating like Sayori’s did, the pink-haired girl opened her eyes to spy her own hands bracing her against the cold surface. Looking up, the next thing she saw was Monika’s smile as she let out a relieved sigh.

“I… It worked?” Natsuki asked, her sobs coming to a halt as she quickly inspected herself. “Oh my god, I’m… I’m okay.”

“Shit, that was too close,” the taller girl proclaimed as she crawled closer to her companion. “How are you feel–”

Before Monika could finish her question, the pink-haired girl practically collapsed into her friend’s shoulder. As Natsuki’s cries began anew, the former club president tightly wrapped the person whose life she once ruined in an embrace.

“It’s okay. It’s okay… It’s okay,” Monika soothingly said as she gently rubbed the trembling girl’s back. “I’ve got you.”

The two clung together in the darkness, unconcerned with anyone else or anything that might be going on around them. It wasn’t until about half a minute into their hug that one of them finally said anything.

“…Monika?” Natsuki meekly sniffled, while she remained pinned to her companion’s body. “…I don’t hate you.”

“Heh, I love you too,” Monika replied. “…Strange to think that you’re probably my closest friend.”

“Our lives are so f-fucked up!” The pink-haired girl tried to humorously reply, though the congestion in her sinuses impeded the effect. Regardless, Monika still couldn’t help but chuckle as her friend broke away from the hug and began wiping her face. “…You better not tell anyone about all this.”

“Not a soul,” the emerald-eyed girl promised, causing Natsuki to flash her signature smirk, even though she looked it little strained. Once she opened her eyes again, the co-vice president’s expression turned from bittersweet happiness to surprise.

“Um… are my eyes so red from crying that I’m seeing things?” Responding to her friend’s statement, Monika swiftly turned to face the same direction. At the end of the tunnel, where they were heading before Edward appeared, there was a very faint crimson light.

“That must be a way out!” The emerald-eyed girl declared as she began crawling towards it. “C’mon… ‘bestie.’”

Natsuki let out an annoyed sigh, realizing the monster her moment of vulnerability had created. In response to Monika’s teasing, the tsundere muttered something under her breath that she definitely still intended for her companion to hear.

“I think I actually liked it better when you were trying to kill us all.”

* * *

The sound of two sets of footsteps echoing throughout the concrete hallway normally would’ve been almost deafening, if they weren’t being drowned out by the accompanying skittering of dozens of mechanical limbs.

As Sayori and Yuri fled in terror, with the legion of hostile spider-bots still on their tail, the club president couldn’t escape the ever-present thought that they were only delaying the inevitable. The unfamiliar pathway they’d chosen led to the possibility of an exit, but could they reach it before the horde caught up? Plus, since these mechanical arachnids can re-enter the tunnels through any part of the ceiling, that only gave them a narrow window of time to escape.

Yet, despite these worries on Sayori’s mind, Yuri’s thoughts were only concerned with the fate of her paramour. Ordinarily, despite the danger, the gothic woman would likely have found some part of this exhilarating. When the monsters first broke out, when they confronted Speed Demon as well as Abysmal, and even when this new threat appeared Yuri’s morbid sense of adventure always kept her from being overwhelmed with fright.

Yet, unlike their previous adventures, this time she didn’t have Natsuki beside her. Now her brain was consumed with the worry of what might become of the person she cared about most. The purple-eyed girl fought back terrified tears and tried not to think too hard about how she just stood there when these mechanical monstrosities took her beloved away.

Her grief subsided, if only for a moment, when a mechanical door finally became visible in the distance. The duo skidded to a halt just in front of the entryway, which slowly began to open upon recognizing her presence.

“Oh please, oh please!” Yuri chanted, as she frantically looks back and forth between the door and the hallway they’d just run through. “Hurry up! Those machines are getting closer!”

“…Huh, I suppose these doors still have power too…” Sayori muttered, numb to her friend's concerns, which caused the gothic woman to shoot her a bewildered glance. “What’s going on with this place?”

However, the instant the doors were opened wide enough, the two girls ceased speaking and slipped through the crack. Upon entering the new room, Yuri immediately turned back around and open a panel on the left side of the doorway, which contained two buttons. The red one on the bottom was labeled “LOCK,” while the latter green one simply read “UNLOCK.”

“…How did you know about those?” The coral-haired girl asked; fear still lingering in her voice due to the encroaching sound of metal limbs tapping against concrete.

“They’re in all the doorways! At least in all the ones I checked!” Yuri shouted as she smashed her hand against the bottom button, causing the mechanical door to reverse its direction. “Rule number two of surviving a horror story: make sure you know how to lock everything behind you!”

As the skittering noise became louder and louder, the two girls then peered into the hallway while the door continued to shut. Just as the remaining viewing space was almost gone, a sole spider-bot leapt out from the darkness, causing the two girls to tumbled backwards in fright.

Fortunately, the mechanical arachnid was only able to slip one of its limbs through the narrow gap, preventing its full entry. Undeterred by the foreign object, the door continued to close; severing the limb and leaving it clattering on the floor.

“Whew, that was close!” Sayori exclaimed as she rose back to her feet, offering a hand to her taller friend.

“Indeed,” the purple-haired girl muttered, failing to notice her fellow club member’s gesture and rising of her own accord. Although the door before them stood firm and unyielding, she could hear the incessant tapping and scratching of the spider-bots against it. “We need to keep moving. I’m certain that won’t hold them at bay indefinitely.”

“…Right. Good call,” the shorter girl responded, retracting her hand and presuming Yuri’s dismissal was accidental in order to spare her own feelings.

The new space they inhabited was much larger than the two would’ve figured, based what little they saw of it in the blueprint. It was at least three times the length of one of their bedrooms, and the limited visibility made it impossible to see what was at the end.

“Wish we hadn’t lost our flashlight,” Sayori muttered as the two of them began their careful trek forward.

“Agreed. We’ll just have to be careful where we walk,” Yuri replied, her gait still much faster than her companion’s. “But we must still move swiftly, with purpose.”

As they walked through the space, it started to become clear what the purpose of this room was. Along the two walls were shelves and lockers stocked to the brim with supplies. At first, it just seemed like basic survival gear; first aid kits, water purification tablets, boxes of MREs, and anything else one might need for a camping trip or to weather a small hurricane.

However, as they went further down the corridor, the contents became increasingly unordinary. Every few feet or so was a new “category” of supplies, the circumstances ranging from extremely low temperatures to even radiation exposure. One grouping was so unusual it even stopped Sayori in her tracks, if only for the label above it reading “Paranormal Response Set: Basic Apparitions.”

“Geez, Darwin has stuff in here for literally everything!” Sayori exclaimed, while  she grabbed up a small glass jar containing what looked like several very old bones from a nearby locker. Upon realizing at least one of them was a human tooth, she swiftly put them back. “Yuck… And he said he wasn’t one of those doomsday prepper-types.”

“I mean, his abode is still a bunker. I suppose it’s not surprising,” Yuri muttered as she wandered over to a different section, this one titled: “Rainforest Survival.” Near a pair of boots, the gothic woman discovered a military-grade combat knife. Removing the sheath, she slowly turned the blade over in her hands as if to inspect it. “Plus, given the variety of dangers we’ve seen in this reality… it’s probably wise to think ahead.”

“Yuri…” the coral-haired girl nervously chimed, upon noticing the instrument in her friend’s hands. “…I d-don’t think you need that.”

“Oh, don’t be foolish,” the gothic woman bluntly replied, while slipping the knife into her coat pocket. “I’m not going to turn the blade on myself. I simply wish to have the means to protect us, should we encounter further threats.”

“Y-yeah, okay, but–” Sayori began before her companion tried to walk right past her, bumping her out of the way with her shoulder to do so. Swiftly, the president of the Literature Club grabbed the purple-haired girl’s arm, causing her taller friend’s face to take on a surprised and annoyed appearance. “Yuri, this isn’t like you! I don’t understand why you’re acting this way, and it’s scaring me!”

“I… oh Sayori, I’m sorry. I never meant to frighten you,” Yuri’s visage soon changed to express her regret, once she realized the concern she was causing her close friend. Shaking her head and sighing, the gothic girl did her best to compose herself before speaking again. “It seems my mind is consumed with worry over what my darling Natsuki must be going through right now. While I usually enjoy a good mystery, I cannot endure remaining unaware of her location… and wellbeing. I truly didn’t mean to go all… ‘Monika’ on you, just now.”

“Heh, it’s okay. I can’t blame you for being worried,” the blue-eyed girl replied; offering a small, yet genuine, smile. “But I’m sure Natsuki’s alright. I think she’s probably the toughest one of us! And it’s not like she’s alone; Monika’s probably with her too!”

“I appreciate your efforts to raise my spirits, but you don’t know my darling like do,” the purple-haired girl retorted, her expression now consumed by sorrow. “Did you know she’s petrified of spiders?”

“No, I didn’t… wait, was that one poem actually about–” Sayori began to ask, before her companion interrupted her with a nod of her head.

“Yes, I was surprised by that as well. And did you see her face when those mechanical arachnids grabbed her? I can’t even imagine how… traumatizing that must have been,” Yuri explained as she slowly moved forward, the threats around them briefly forgotten as she lamented. “And, while I’m not proud to admit this, her being with Monika doesn’t necessarily ease my troubled heart. I know I’ve advocated for giving her a chance in the past. Yet given their history of conflict, and her bad habit of prioritizing Darwin over our wellbeing… well, she’s given me little reason to trust she’d look out for Natsuki when we really need her to.”

“…Yeah, I guess that’s fair,” the coral-haired girl muttered, her mouth curling into a frustrated frown. However, as she placed her hand in her fellow club member’s, Sayori’s bright smile soon returned. “I guess that means we’ll just have to save them both then. Together.”

“Heh, indeed. Togeth–” the duo’s brief moment of bonding was interrupted by a sudden sound from above them. The ceiling muffled the noise somewhat, the nature of it was unmistakable.

Yuri could hear her girlfriend screaming, and it made her blood run cold.

Before either girl even had a chance to panic, a ceiling panel directly above them suddenly open up and the familiar form of the monstrous Edward came tumbling out. As the creature stood up and tried to reorient itself, it’s trio of tendrils immediately lunged towards girl closest to them: Yuri.

However, the gothic woman was mentally prepared enough to attempt some kind of reaction, even if it wasn’t totally intentional. Yuri stumbled backwards, throwing her left arm into the air in an effort to stabilize herself.

Due to the sudden movement, the tendril’s trajectory was slightly off. Instead of grabbing hold of her arm, the limbs only managed to snag her sleeve. As the piece of fabric began to dissolve, a huge chunk of it was torn off Yuri’s falling form, leaving her unharmed.

Her safety was short-lived though, as the tentacles shot back towards the girl on the ground. However, just as they were about to strike her exposed arm, the three limbs came to a sudden halt. Surprised, Yuri turned her attention to their attacker, whose sole eye was staring at her in bewilderment.

The creature was looking directly at her exposed arm, and even hesitantly moved closer to get a better look. The gothic woman turned her gaze towards it as well, but couldn’t see what had shocked it so.

Her skin was smooth and unblemished, fresh as the day she’d be born (which technically, Yuri figured, wasn’t that long ago). While a little pale, there wasn’t anything about it that was out of the ordinary. Then, like a bolt from the blue, it dawned on the scared girl exactly what was missing.

Her scars. The creature was looking for her scars.

All the while, the three tendrils squirmed disconcertingly; occasionally one would lurch towards Yuri, then be pulled back by the other two, as if separate entities were each trying to control them. When the monster finally seemed frustrated enough by its own lack of understanding, it moved away from the two girls and struck its inhuman limbs into the concrete floor, startling the duo slightly.

Suddenly, a random series of blue lines began to emanate from the tips of his tentacles. As the lines expanded, they began to shift into familiar shapes. As Yuri rose from the floor, it didn’t take long for either member of the Literature Club to realize that the monster wasn’t just creating a bizarre pattern in the concrete.

Satisfied with its handiwork, the creature moved its limbs away, leaving a glowing sentence etched into the stone surface. Although the letters were oddly shaped and lacked any consistency regarding capitalization and spacing, the meaning of the statement below them was bluntly apparent even under the harsh red lighting:

**Wh O a Re wE?**

The two girls looked on in bewilderment at the impossible occurrence taking place before them, just as the letters began to fade away into nothingness. In that short moment, this creature – whose very nature was only theoretical mere moments ago – suddenly became that much more certain, and the reality of that realization hit the duo like an out-of-control truck.

This wasn’t just some horrible amalgamation of data given life, nor another monster out to ruin their lives. Somehow, in some form, it was truly a person. Someone they knew and cared about.

It was really him; Edward. Their friend, the fifth club member, was actually real; just like the rest of them.

Sayori covered her mouth and suppressed her body’s urge to start sobbing, as tears began to form around her eyelids. Only a few days ago she’d given up on ever seeing him again; now he stood before her, even if it was in a form she only partially recognized.

“That’s… w-well, it’s not an easy situation to explain,” Yuri managed to say, in an attempt to answer Edward’s question.

The former club member crouched down and placed its tendrils against the floor once more, as a new set of glowing letters began to take shape. Looking at the fruits of his labor, the creature’s eye squinted in frustration; certain something about these characters wasn’t right, but his mind was too fuzzy to make out why.

Edward then turned his attention upwards, gazing upon the forms of the two women before him. From his perspective, the duo was no longer obscured by clouds of ones and zeroes. As the numbers faded away, he was able to make out familiar features he couldn’t before. The shape of a nose, the curve of a pair of lips, even the depth found within two eyes.

There was no denying it; the monster was certain he knew them. He immediately recognized these two from his fragmented memories; the hanging girl and the one with the knife.

Yet, in spite of this, questions continued to overwhelm his incomplete mind. How did he know them? If they died, how are they still here? Where even is here? Beyond that, as the sentence on the floor finished taking shape, he couldn’t escape an undeniable feeling that gripped his heart each time he looked upon them: Betrayal.

**Wh Y di D y Ou le Ave mE In tH e LIGhTS?**

“Why… did we… leave–” the gothic girl did her best to decipher the abnormal string of letters, though their meaning was just as confusing as their structure. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand what you–”

“The Void,” Sayori managed to say, in-between sobs. “We left him in the Void for… so long. Edward, oh my god… I’m so sorry. We didn’t know…”

The creature looked downward, avoiding the gaze of the two before him. Hesitantly, the coral-haired girl approached what remained of her best friend. Yuri grabbed Sayori’s arm, trying to remind her of the threat he still posed, but she wouldn’t be deterred.

As the coral-haired girl crouched down to the monster’s level, Edward stumbled backwards and tried to move away. However, before he could get very far, Sayori gently took hold of the left side of his face in her right hand. She ran her thumb over the smooth surface of his visage and closed her eyes as she quietly weeped even harder.

As this happened, the monster’s three tentacles tightly wrapped around each other, locking them in place. Edward then began moving his sole human hand towards the girl in front of him; Yuri watched on, uncertain if she needed to interject before her friend was hurt.

Sayori reopened her eyes upon feeling a sudden movement just below her neck. Looking down, she found a human hand awkwardly trying to place one of the buttons on her shirt through the little hole in the front of the fabric. His efforts were met with failure, due to the limited capabilities of his single appendage and tightness of the old article of clothing.

Although the coral-haired girl continued to cry, this time a smile replaced her frown. Using her free hand, she pulled the other part of the shirt just close enough that Edward could push the button through it. Then, taking Sayori’s face in his palm much the same way she had for his own, the creature gently wiped away the stream of tears underneath her right eye.

“Heh… I missed you so much,” the president of the Literature Club said, to which Edward sorrowfully nodded his head in agreement. The two held each other in this way for a little while, in what amounted to the closest thing they could have to a hug, before the sound of Yuri clearing her throat brought them back to reality.

“I hate to disrupt the moment, but we still have much to discuss,” the gothic girl’s words caused the other two in the room to drop their arms back down to their sides, concerned by her tone. “Edward, although I’m grateful to see you are (relatively speaking) alright, you’ve attacked us multiple times. I believe we’re owed an explanation.”

After a moment of consideration, the monster rose from the ground and took a couple steps backwards. Sayori stood back up as well, while the creature’s tendrils unfurled themselves and touched the ground once more.

Once the glowing letters took full shape, the sentence she saw before herself immediately caused Yuri’s heart to plunge into her stomach.

**wE a Re NOT aLoNE**

Almost as if on cue, a loud “clank” erupted from the back of the room, starting the trio. Although it was difficult to see in the darkness, Yuri could just barely make out a copper-colored hatch at the end of the long corridor.

The circular gateway was small, just large enough for a single person to fit through. It reminded Yuri of the airlock doors she saw on the submarine, but significantly older.

Once a second frightening noise echoed throughout the concrete corridor, the gothic girl realized it must have been the sound of the mechanisms within it unlocking. As the heavy door slowly began to open, Edward swiftly moved to obscure himself behind one of the lockers. Realizing they had no idea what was about to enter the room, Sayori and Yuri rushed to find similar hiding places.

Next to the metal barrier, the co-vice president fearfully waited for whatever new horrors were about to enter the room; her terrified heartbeat quickening with each tick of the opening door. However, the appearance of a different, more familiar noise immediately caused all her worries to melt away.

“God damn it, this is so dangerous!” Natsuki’s annoyed voice arrived like music to Yuri’s ears. Poking her head out, the gothic beauty saw her beloved carefully pushing open the hatch with her right arm, while her remaining limbs clung to a series of metal bars located along the vertical passageway behind it. “Who designs a tunnel with such a steep fucking drop, when one of the exits is also blocked by a heavy-ass door?!”

“At least Darwin put a ladder in,” Monika said as she descended the same series of steps, while her pink-haired companion exited into the room proper and guided the emerald-eyed girl behind her. “You’re right though, I can’t even see the bottom from here…”

“You guys!” Sayori called out as she suddenly left her hiding space, surprising the other two girls before grateful smiles adorned their face.

Joining her club president as she sprinted forward, Yuri met her friends halfway and was immediately enveloped in a group hug. The quartet held tightly onto each other, as if they were certain this was the only way they could avoid being separated again.

“Oh thank goodness you’re alright,” the purple-haired girl said as she broke away from the embrace, and planted a kiss on her girlfriend’s cheek.

“Heh, things did get pretty scary in there,” Natsuki confessed as she returned the gesture. “Fortunately, Monika had my back.”

“Heh, looks like Yuri was wrong about you then!” Sayori absentmindedly said to the former club president, causing Yuri to shoot her an uncharacteristically annoyed look.

“Hey, I’m just glad I could… wait, what the hell does that mean?” Monika replied as she turned to the tallest girl, who’s expression swiftly changed to one of embarrassment.

“A-ah, never mind!” The coral-haired girl squeaked, before shaking her head and recalling their dire circumstances. “B-but you guys won’t believe what happened to us! We were…”

Although Edward could still hear his friend’s speech, the meaning of the words was lost once his focus fell on the two new girls who entered the room. No longer clouded by numbers, he could finally see them for what they really were.

The shortest one he also knew from his horrible memories; the girl with the broken neck. Yet it was the other one, whose hair was tied up in a white bow, that occupied his attention. The one with the cold smile.

Her eyes, her hands, even her very existence felt as if they were taunting him. From within the confused jumble of data and gray matter he would call a mind, Edward was immediately overtaken by the clarity of a white-hot rage.

The creature exited its hiding spot and rushed towards the quartet. Just as Sayori was finishing her explanation of everything that previously transpired, she turned around upon hearing the footsteps of a digital monster rushing out from the darkness.

“Edward, wait!” The coral-haired girl moved towards her old friend in an effort to halt his rampage, but he effortlessly shoved her aside with his human arm and sent her crashing into a nearby locker.

The creature leapt towards Monika, tendrils pointed forward and murder in his eye. Fortunately, Natsuki managed to grab hold of her taller friends’ arms while stumbling backwards, moving them out of the way at the last second.

The monster, unable to change its trajectory, flew past the Literature Club and straight into the open hatch. Although one of Edward’s tentacles managed to grab onto a piece of the metal ladder, the pull of his own weight quickly caused his grip to fail. The digital abomination plunged into the never-ending abyss below, failing to make any sound as it fell.

“Y-yeah, h-he… he certainly seems much more fucking stable now!” Natsuki sardonically shouted as she shakily rose back to her feet.

“He wasn’t like that a second ago…” The coral-hired girl quietly objected as she rubbed her shoulder, which took the brunt of the impact.

“Sayori, he tried to kill you! He tried to kill me! And even if he didn’t hurt Yuri, I’m pretty sure he wasn’t trying to give Monika a very aggressive hug just now!” The pink-haired girl retorted, while her girlfriend moved to check the blue-eyed girl’s injury.

“But he talked to us! Er, well… he ‘wrote’ to us, anyways,” Sayori countered, a revelation that both surprised and confused the other two members of the Literature Club.

“As bizarre as that sounds, it’s the truth. His memories seem to be incomplete, but he clearly recognized us,” Yuri added as she rubbed her bare arm. “He apparently spent some time in the Void as well. It’s just… he knew too much to just be some mindless amalgamation of assets from the game.”

“The Void…” Monika muttered, still somewhat in shock, as she used the frame of the metal hatch to hoist herself back onto her feet.

“Damn, really?” Natsuki asked, the new information causing her usual bravado to falter. “That’s… wow… it’s really him then…”

“…Natsuki, I need to you take Sayori and Yuri to the surface,” the former president of the Literature Club ordered, causing the pink-haired girl to turn around and catch Monika placing her right foot onto the ladder in the access tunnel.

“W-what the hell are you doing?!” The tsundere called out, drawing the other two girls’ attention. “Do you have a death wish or something?!”

“Y-yeah! If you’re staying, so are we!” Sayori added as she stood up, still clutching her arm in pain. “If this is about Darwin, you don’t need to prove anything–”

“This isn’t about him,” the emerald-eyed girl bluntly stated as she grasped onto one of the metal bars with her left hand. “I’m going after that thi– I’m… I’m going after Edward.”

A hush fell over the room. Monika turned her head, having expected her friends to object further, but they all seemed too surprised or flabbergasted to speak.

“…When we first got here, I never spared him even a passing thought. Not once. He was never real to me like he was to all of you,” the remorseful girl continued to explain, as she averted her gaze from her friends. “I made him witness to so much pain and death, only to use him as my means of reaching the Player. Can you imagine what that must’ve been like? To be trapped, without a voice, and forced to stare into the eyes of the person who murdered all your friends? I… god… I created this monster.”

“…Monika,” the coral-haired girl replied, sorrow replacing the concern in her voice. “You… you don’t have to do this alone.”

“…No, I do,” the brown-haired girl responded upon fully entering the tunnel. “Even if he isn’t fully in control, Edward has still tried to kill all three of you. I won’t let you guys risk your lives to fix my mistake.”

“…What will you do then?” Yuri asked, while Natsuki stared at her former foe in quiet contemplation.

“Well… I think I’ll take a page from Sayori’s book,” Monika said as she began her descent. “I’m going to try and talk to him.” 

* * *

“Okay… This is fine… Not creepy at all,” Monika muttered to herself as she stepped off the ladder, officially entering the unfamiliar room.

The emerald-eyed girl was surrounded by a maze of pipes and electrical conduits, clearly indicating she was in some kind of maintenance room. All of the plumbing and power in the bunker constantly running through this one area was practically vibrating the space around her, which did nothing to soothe Monika’s nerves.

To make matters worse, Edward was nowhere to be seen. Although the former club president was grateful she wasn’t attacked the second she arrived; the uncertainty of whether he’d left the area, or if she simply couldn’t see him due to all of the surrounding tubes, definitely didn’t put her at ease either.

To top it all off, even though the main threat wasn’t here, Monika wasn’t exactly alone. All around her, coating the ceiling and the tops of the many ducts, was the swarm spider-bots. Every single mechanical arachnid inside the base must have been there. Although they made no move to attack her, their cold, black eyes continued to watch her as she navigated her way through the impromptu maze.

“I mean, sure, this was already absolutely terrifying. This might as well be happening too…” the emerald-eyed girl muttered as she squeezed past and ducked around the many tubes in her way.

Monika continued to search for what felt like an eternity, becoming almost slightly numb to the terror out of boredom. Her fear, however, would occasionally be renewed whenever one of the ducts would make a sudden noise, reminding her of the threat that could still be lurking nearby. Eventually, the brown-haired girl considered that she might be moving in circles and was failing to make any actual progress.

“I mean, that pipe looks… vaguely familiar. So maybe I’ve been this way before…” Monika murmured to herself as she stared at one particular conduit, which was absolutely identical to all the rest.

Suddenly, the former president of the Literature Club heard muffled cries emanating not too far from her. Moving past another wall of tubes, Monika discovered a massive mesh of metal wires. Based on all of the movement within, the emerald-eyed girl didn’t have to be a detective to figure out who was inside.

“Darwin, is that you?” Monika whispered, to which the mass wiggled in what she assumed was the affirmative. The brown-haired girl tried to separate the many wires as best she could, but they refused to come undone. “Damn, it! How am I supposed to–”

What was presumably Darwin’s head began repeatedly jerking to the left. Turning her gaze in that direction, Monika spotted a red toolbox nestled underneath a large pipe. All the while the mechanical swarm continued to spy on her.

“Guess we know where all that metal ‘webbing’ came from,” the former president of the Literature Club muttered as she moved towards the small container.

The brown-haired girl swiftly undid the metal latch and sifted through the contents. Amongst the mess of rusty tools, Monika found her prize: An old pair of wire cutters. Taking it in her hands, the emerald-eyed girl quickly returned to Darwin’s side and began cutting. After a couple minutes of snipping, though the steel cables offered some resistance, she managed to remove the layer that was surrounding his head.

“Oh, thank god! The air in there was getting pretty stale,” the immortal exclaimed as he breathed in deep, before recalling the seriousness of their current circumstances. “Monika, that thing that attacked me, I know what it is!”

“Yeah, we figured it out too,” Monika said as she slowly ran the wire cutters down the left side of the metal cocoon. “It’s Edward. He’s here, but something’s… wrong with him.”

“No– I mean, yes, you’re right. But Monika, this is so much worse than you know!” Darwin ominously replied, causing the emerald-eyed girl to cease cutting out of fright. “…Um, please don’t stop doing that though. I still need to get out of here.”

“Oh, right. Sorry,” Monika bashfully said as she resumed her work.

“Anyways, yes, that’s definitely supposed to be the missing club member. But he couldn’t have done all of this on his own!” The immortal explained, worrying his companion enough to prompt her to cautiously look over her shoulder, though all she saw were the robotic arachnids. “Deactivating the lights and turning the spider-bots against us; there’s no way he’d have the knowledge to pull all that off by himself! And the fact that he took me off the playing field first, even though he’d never even seen me before… he had to be programmed to do that.”

“W-wait, what are you saying?” Monika asked as she freed one of the brown-eyed boy’s arms; the pace of her task hastening due to fright.

“I’m saying that this thing had help and… God forgive me, I think I know who it is,” Darwin replied, his breath shaky and his expression pained. “I… damn it, I said her name and she responded! I was so traumatized, I didn’t even notice! I thought I was reliving another memory! You’re all in danger because of my stupid, broken mind!”

The immortal’s final sentence was punctuated by him slamming his head into a pipe behind him, though whether the ensuing audible crack came from the old metal tube or his own skull was uncertain. Startled, the emerald-eyed girl’s sudden flinch caused the wire-cutters to slip from her hands.

“Darwin, you’re not making any sense, and… you’re scaring me” Monika stated as she retrieved the tool, her trembling hands making the task a little more difficult than it should’ve been. “Just tell me what’s wrong.”

“I… I didn’t mean to keep it a secret… I didn’t think it mattered anymore...” Darwin muttered, before realizing he still wasn’t making anything clearer. Shaking his head and taking a moment to calm himself, the immortal continued to speak as the former club president resumed cutting through his bonds, having nearly reached the end of his left leg. “The truth is… you, Sayori, Natsuki, and Yuri… you guys aren’t… you weren’t the first– Behind you!”

Darwin’s warning gave the emerald-eyed girl just enough time to avoid the tendrils flying towards her. Monika quickly scrambled backwards as the trio of tentacles instead bashed into the immortal’s visage, knocking his head against another pipe and rendering him unconscious.

The monster turned his sole eye towards the target he initially missed, as he lurched towards his prey with renewed vigor. The former club president swiftly ducked between two rows of conduits, in an effort to evade her attacker. Unfortunately, Edward’s trio of glowing tendrils simply shoved the pipes with an inhuman amount of strength, causing whatever content they were housing to spray all over the room.

“P-please, Edward, d-don’t do this,” the now soaked Monika begged as she slowly backed away. “I know you must hate me, a-and I can’t blame you. But I think something’s controlling you! You have to fight back!”

The monster paused, before grabbing his head with his still human hand. The beast stumbled, seemingly in pain, though it’s forward directions still forced the emerald-eyed girl ever backwards. Almost in what seemed to be frustration, Edward bashed his tendrils into a nearby wall of pipes, on which glowing letters began to appear:

**Y Ou’r E RIgTH soM EoNE is In M Y MIn D**

The imperfect creation continued its pained lurch towards the terrified girl, who met his pace in the opposite direction; his inhuman limbs dragging along the metal tubes as it moved. While one chaotic string of letter disappeared, a new one soon took its place; yet Monika, even in her terrified state, couldn’t help but notice that this one easier to read:

**I diDn’t want TO huRt tHe OTHeRs**

However, despite its seeming lamentation, the monster suddenly ceased its pained spasms and trained its eye on the brown-haired girl. This coincided with Monika’s back touching concrete, having pinned herself against a wall, with only two impenetrable rows of metal pipes on either side of her. Edward then crashed his tendrils into the pipes on the left mass of conduits, missing the former club president’s face by inches. Upon doing so, a new, haunting sentence appeared underneath his appendages:

**BUT WE BOTH WANT TO KILL YOU**

Then, in an instant, one of those same appendages swiftly wrapped itself around Monika’s neck. The emerald-eyed girl instinctively tried to gasp for air, but the vital resource couldn’t sneak past her compressed throat. Although Monika had no prior knowledge of what being choked felt like, she was surprised by how much it hurt.

It only took a couple of seconds before the poor girl’s survival instincts kicked in. In a desperate moment of panic, Monika began to struggle within her captor’s grip, while she pitifully tried to pry the tentacle off with her hands.

Even as her lungs burned like they were on fire, the former president of the Literature Club couldn’t distract herself from the thought of what Sayori must’ve experienced when she died in the game. Even though it wasn’t real, is this what if felt like for her too? Was it just as terrifying? Monika hoped not; she didn’t want to think that she might’ve put someone through this horrific experience too.

Bizarrely, as darkness began to cloud her vision and her mind began to dull, it also dawned on the poor girl that she still felt whole. Even with the monster touching her bare skin, she wasn’t being deleted.

Suddenly, Monika felt the monster’s grip loosen as air blissfully filled her chest. Turning her eyes downward, she saw the part of the tendril she’d taken hold of were starting to turn green. Not a bright, pleasant green; even in the red lighting she could tell it was a septic, sickly color.

Looking back at her attacker, the emerald-eyed girl saw in Edward’s twisted and pained expression that – even without a mouth – he was trying to scream in agony. Although the monster attempted to release his captive, the former part of Monika’s fight or flight response spurned her to grasp the inhuman appendage even tighter.

Stumbling backwards, Edward crashed through multiple series of pipes, bringing the two of them closer to the entrance to the access tunnel. In spite of the metal objects that occasionally impacted her frame, some animalistic side of Monika refused to let go.

The monster collapsed to the ground, the bright glow of his appendages fully replaced by the anemic color. Meanwhile, his human half began to shrivel up, like a grape left out in the hot sun for too long.

As the beast lay helpless, Monika’s only response was to grab all three tendrils and hold them firmly in her left hand, as she stepped on his neck with her right foot. Edward looked up at the former president of the Literature Club and saw – even though her breathing was rapid and panicked – she was staring at him with the same cold eyes that haunted his memories.

“Jeez, it’s creepy down here,” the nervous voice of Natsuki suddenly emanated not too far off, though Monika didn’t even seem to notice it. “Your kinda place, am I right babe?”

“Considering the nature of our visit, I can’t say I agree,” Yuri whispered. “Though, I suppose under different circumstances…”

“Come on guys, we have to focus!” Sayori said, much too loudly, as the sound of her dismounting from the metal ladder echoed throughout the concrete room. “We need to find Monika before she does something stupid! I can’t believe I let her go alone, I should’ve– What the hell?!”

As the president of the Literature Club rounded a corner, she witnesses the unnerving sight of her predecessor silently standing over Edward; whom Sayori assumed they would be rescuing her from. Once the other two girls had caught up with her, they were equally shocked by this unexpected visual.

The monster’s body was now a husk of itself, like a dried flower, and his movements – as few as they were – were so feeble they only highlighted his helplessness. All the while, Monika’s faced remained unmoving like a statue, displaying no emotions other than focus and cold indifference.

The lost member of the Literature Club was dying, and Monika was killing him.

While Natsuki and Yuri remained stunned, trying to fully process what was occurring, Sayori didn’t share their hesitation.

“Monika! Stop! Please!” The coral-haired girl rushed over to her taller companion’s side and grabbed hold of her left arm, trying to pull her off of Edward.

The emerald-eyed girl’s body, however, remained anchored in place. She didn’t waver from her gruesome task, despite her friend’s intervention. Monika wouldn’t even look at Sayori.

As panicked tears rolled down Sayori’s face, she spied Edward’s looking up at her. Even though half of his body was as green as murky swamp water, the fear his single eye was unmistakable. With his mind muddled and incomplete, the poor boy couldn’t even fully comprehend what was happening or why.

In this new reality, each of the four girls had been given a chance to be the truest versions of themselves; unconstrained by the code of a video game. Yet, even in this world, Edward had become someone else’s puppet and was at Monika’s mercy. In spite of his drastically different physical appearance, nothing had actually changed for him.

And now he’s going to die.

Unable to understand what was happening or how to stop it, the desperate Sayori threw her arms around Monika and began to weep into her chest.

“Please… please don’t do this!” The coral-haired girl begged in-between sobs. “Don’t take him away from me again…”

Monika blinked; her fellow club member’s statement causing her focus to falter. The inhuman tendrils fell from her hands, and both sides of Edward’s form started to return to normal.

Feeling the brown-haired girl stepping off her lost friend’s neck, Sayori looked up and saw the confusion and absolute horror on the emerald-eyed girl’s visage. The former club president stared at her own hands, each one trembling, as if she was just now realizing the monster she became once again.

“Wh-what just… why did I…” Although Monika’s voice was hoarse, her vocal cords injured from the earlier attack, remorseful and frighten tears began spilling from her eyes all the same. “Oh my god, Sayori, I-I’m so sorry…”

Usually, after witnessing one of their friends do something horrible, a person would be reasonably inclined to avoid them. Sayori, however, only hugged Monika tighter; grateful to see that the person she cared for was still in there.

As the two girls cried together, Natsuki and Yuri each sighed with relief, grateful that whatever horror show they’d walked in on was seemingly over. However, the couple’s attention quickly shifted to the swiftly recovering digital abomination rising off the floor.

“Look out!” Natsuki and Yuri cried, but their warning came too late.

Edward, his body no longer withered and weak, had stumbled slightly away from his would-be killer. However, as pure rage replaced the fear that once occupied his eye, the beast couldn’t stop himself from lunging towards the girl who ruined his life. Monika and Sayori, unable to react in time, simply flinched and shut their eyelids in anticipation.

Before he could reach the two girls, however, Darwin suddenly burst out from between two rows of pipes and bashed a wrench into Edward’s head. The monster immediately collapsed onto the floor, seemingly unconscious.

The immortal let out an exhausted sigh as the metal tool fell from his hands. His body was covered in small scratches, some of which were still bleeding, as if he forced himself out of the mesh of metal wires that once imprisoned him

“You know, whenever monsters attack, I’m rarely the one who gets to ask a question like this,” Darwin stated as his gaze fell upon Monika. “But what the fuck just happened?!”

* * *

Hydraulics hissed as the mechanical door lowered, fully enclosing the unconscious Edward within the Plexiglass box. Although everyone knew it wasn’t safe to leave him uncontained, no one could shake the feeling of how unfair this was.

It struck Monika as bizarre that, although the cell was rather well-lit, the exterior hallway didn’t contain any of the bunker’s typical fluorescent lighting. Dark shadows enveloped the five friends as they watched the glass hatch completely seal, enhancing everyone’s solemn and grim expressions. Only Darwin’s visage was different; his brow furrowed in frustration.

“What are we going to do with him?” Natsuki asked, finally breaking the uncomfortable silence, though her tone was far more desolate than usual.

“No idea… I don’t suppose anyone’s eager to turn him over to APART?” The immortal offered, receiving four head shakes in the negatory. “Yeah… me neither. Though I’d be lying if I said I’m excited about having a monster live in my basement again.”

“S-sorry…” Sayori muttered, as the most ardent supporter for keeping her twisted friend close by.

“No need. This wasn’t your fault… it’s mine,” Darwin confessed, either surprising or confusing each member of the quartet. “I left the simulation on. Without any characters to work with, it just… made a new one out of the few assets it had available. That’s why he’s… incomplete. If I just hadn’t forgotten…”

“You couldn’t have known this would happen,” Yuri replied, placing a comforting hand on the boy’s shoulder.

“…But I should have,” the immortal sighed, shrugging off the gothic woman’s touch. “You all almost died in my home. Again.”

“Yeah… we did,” the club president said, as the reality of the situation settled in each of their minds. “…Do you think… Would it be possible to… fix him?”

“…I honestly don’t know,” Darwin confessed, causing Sayori’s spirits to considerably diminish. However, after another moment of silence, the immortal then turned his attention to the brown-haired girl who was silently leaning against the back wall. “Speaking of things I don’t know…”

“Yeah, well, you’re not the only one at a loss right now,” Monika croaked; her voice a little stronger than it was before, but still rather weak. “I have clue why I was able to hurt him, or even how I did it. It’s just… once I saw I could, I didn’t want to give him another chance to… to…”

All eyes fell on Monika as the words were caught in her throat. Unexpectedly, the poor girl started to chuckle, though the sorrow in her tone matched the tears running down her cheeks.

“I-it’s funny, b-but I’m the only person here w-who’s never actually… died before. Not like the rest of you h-have,” the former club president said, her laughter soon giving way to full on crying. “I-I almost did today, a-and I can’t believe I put s-someone else through that. I’m so… I’m…”

Monika’s apology trailed off, her sobs making it difficult to speak. Suddenly, the emerald-eyed girl felt herself being enveloped by several warm masses.

Opening her eyes, the former president found herself caught by Sayori, Natsuki, and Yuri in a group hug. The two smaller girls were clinging around her waist – and she couldn’t help but notice the wetness around the coral-haired one’s eyes – while the taller woman had gently placed her arms around her shoulders.

Monika started to cry even harder, but this time her tears flowed out of gratitude. No matter what happens in the future, the people who loved her most had already forgiven her.

All the while, Darwin stood off to the side, his gaze never wavering from the unconscious monster in the cell. Seeing his behavior, Natsuki took the opportunity to address the question on everyone’s mind.

“So… now that our lives aren’t currently in danger, we’ve got some shit to figure out,” the pink-haired girl said as she broke away from the group’s embrace, causing the others to separate as well. “And I think it’s safe to say you have the answers.”

“Yeah… some of them, anyways,” Darwin muttered without turning around. “There’s a lot of stuff I don’t understand myself. I just know our friend in the box couldn’t have just… created himself.”

“Well, we can try to figure out all the specifics later,” Monika stated; wiping tears from her visage. “I know you said earlier that you didn’t mean to keep… something from us. Honestly, I’m way past caring whether it was intentional or not. Just, please… tell us the truth.”

“…Happy to, so long as I don’t get cut off for the third time today by a monster attack,” the immortal replied – his attempt at humor faltering due to his own lack of enthusiasm – as he turned around. Steeling himself, the brown-eyed boy prepared for a lengthy explanation. “I don’t know how it’s possible, but somehow–”

Before Darwin could divulge any information, another inhuman tendril – this time multicolored, like a melted rainbow – suddenly shot out of the dark hallway. Wrapping itself around his neck, the immortal was forcefully yanked away by a barely-visible figure to the girls’ left.

“Oh, come on!” Darwin managed to choke out before the tentacle tightened its grip, silencing him. Monika’s blood ran cold when the owner of the monstrous appendage stepped into the light, although she didn’t realize why until she heard its familiar voice.

“I just want you to know… I’m truly sorry for everything that’s about to happen,” the shadow creature stated as another entity came into view; the white-haired girl they all saw during the breakout. “Although, I can’t speak for my friend here.”

“…Elli Thora?” Yuri asked, causing the child to shift her gaze towards the gothic beauty, seemingly surprised to hear her own moniker.

“…What good is a name?” The white-haired woman muttered before clasping Darwin’s face in her left hand, as the smell of ozone began to fill the air.

The electricity coursing through Elli’s fingers caused Darwin’s body to spasm in pain. Even though the shadow creature still had a tendril wrapped around the brown-eyed boy’s throat, he seemed unaffected by the current. His wide grin remained unchanged despite the immortal’s muffled screams.

The quartet watched on, horrified, as the white-haired girl finally removed her hand from Darwin’s visage. The flesh of his face was severely burned and gave off a disconcerting odor of cooked meat. The immortal seemed to still be breathing, but barely.

“Was that really necessary?” The shadow creature asked; his smile remaining despite the disappointed tone in his voice.

“No… but it was satisfying,” Elli replied. Her visage remained as skittish as when the Literature Club first saw her, even after she’d just electrocuted a man.

“Ah, cut her some slack. We were crawling through those access tunnels for so long, it’s understandable she’d want to blow off a little steam,” a third, unfamiliar figure said as it came into view; his deep voice reverberating within the concrete hallway. “Besides, our undying friend here is certainly going to be more… cooperative like this.”

The unfamiliar man then turned his attention to Edward, still sleeping peacefully despite the chaos just outside his prison cell. The black-haired boy slowly made his way over to the glass wall, placing his hand against it as if he was viewing a rare antique on display.

“Isn’t this a phenomenal creature? And here I thought Darwin wasn’t in the business of imprisoning monsters anymore. Old habits, I suppose,” the baritone figure said before his gaze fell on the quartet. The malice in his eyes caused each of the girls to flinch upon gaining his attention, even though his movements were so slow. “And then there’s you four…”

As the man made his way towards the remaining members of the Literature Club, the frightened Sayori still worked up the courage to leap to the front of the group, much like she had done during the breakout. Her brave attempt to protect her friends was ultimately futile, as the unfamiliar figure simply – almost gently – shoved the coral-haired girl aside.

“L-leave us alone!” Natsuki cried out as tried to tackle the man with every ounce of might her tiny form possessed. She almost rebounded from the impact, however; it was like trying to topple a brick wall.

“My oh my, even your attempts at resistance are… well, adorable,” the black-haired man said as he fearlessly walked past the stunned tsundere. The unknown figure approached the remaining two girls, and carefully placed his right thumb and index finger around Monika’s chin. “And then there’s you. Our partner – the one who provided entry into this bunker, as well as the… distractions – showed us footage of your newfound ‘talents.’ You’re quite… exquisite.”

“W-what do you want from us?” Yuri said as she forced the man’s hand away from her frightened friend’s face. Although Monika could see the fear in the gothic woman’s eyes, she was so grateful that someone would risk their life for her after everything that’s happened.

“Oh, I don’t want anything _from_ you,” the black-haired boy said; his emphasis causing the tallest girls’ brave front to falter “I really only need the three most extraordinary ones… but it’d be a shame to break up the collection. Poly, if you would?”

The shadow monster snapped his fingers, and it was as if an electrical signal in Monika’s mind misfired. The former president’s body started to go numb, and it took all of her effort to remain standing. The presence she felt in her brain reminded the brown-haired girl of Omi’s telepathic touch, yet this was far more invasive and forceful.

When Monika’s body finally collapsed to the ground, she spotted her other three friends similarly falling to the floor. As the emerald-eyed girl’s vision started to blur, she managed to catch one last statement from the baritone man to his companions, before darkness overtook her vision.

“It’s sad really… so many years studying the supernatural, and I never would’ve gotten his close… accomplished so much… if I’d never left APART.”

And with that, Monika slipped away into a restless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooph, this one was a doozy to finish. I'm really glad I split this and the last chapter into two, otherwise, this would've been super lengthy. Apologies for the long wait!
> 
> Almost to the end! Hopefully the last two chapters shouldn't be too long, so I should have them ready before the end of the year!
> 
> Happy (belated) Halloween everyone!


	14. If I Don't Know How To Love You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: The following chapter deals with self-harm in a far more direct way than most of my writing has in the past. If you're worried about being exposed to such material, I'd suggest skipping over the section about Yuri and Scorpius. The statements made by the characters aren't intended to reflect the opinion of the author.

Darwin exhaled softly; finally stirring awake after being unconscious for God knows how long. He blinked slowly, his faculties readjusting to the waking world. His eyes opened with a start when he suddenly recalled everything that recently occurred.

Edward’s assault on the Literature Club. The familiar grip of Poly’s tendril around his throat. Elli’s electric touch searing the flesh on his face. The unknown baritone voice that haunted his ears, before he passed out from the shock.

The four girls the immortal dragged into this reality had been left helpless during his recovery, and now he needs to make that right. However, even as the muscles retracted the skin coving his eyes, Darwin’s sight remained shrouded in darkness.

No, that wasn’t quite right. Small amounts of light were sneaking through tiny, square gaps. Feeling the coarse fabric against his visage, the immortal swiftly deduced that his kidnappers had placed a cloth sack over his head.

The brown-eyed boy tried to move, but his wrists were being held by unseen escorts. Although the chill of cold steel against his skin wasn’t an unfamiliar sensation, it’d be a lie to say the immortal was thrilled waking up to it.

As more of his senses returned to him, Darwin finally noticed that two sets of firm hands were dragging him… somewhere. His captors’ grips were unusually hard; far too dense and angular for ordinary human mitts. Hearing the clang of metal against metal as they walked only further peaked the inquisitive immortal’s curiosity.

Unfortunately, as Darwin recoiled once the hood was pulled away and bright light hit his unadjusted eyes, his curiosity was about to be sated. Only he’ll wish it hadn’t.

The first thing Darwin saw was an unknown man standing at the back of the room, next to a stainless-steel desk, facing away from him. The rusted red of the metal room they inhabited was a sharp contrast to his black hair, which – despite the floodlights illuminating the space – seemed to almost draw in the light around it.

No longer obscured by shadows, it was possible to see his attire, which appeared to be a worn-out military uniform. All of the tactical accessories were missing, while the material was heavily faded and almost seemed to be falling apart.

Not too far from the man’s left Darwin heard a distinctive dripping noise, where he spotted the rainbow-stained form of the monstrous Poly as well as Elli’s distinctive white hair. While the relatively normal-looking girl was reclining against a wall, she wouldn’t stop staring at the immortal out of the corner of her eye. The shadow creature didn’t share his companion’s inclination for subtlety; looking right at Darwin with his ocular-less face.

The boy’s brown eyes then fell on those who were holding him, and the bizarre elements he noted while blind immediate made sense. The immortal was flanked by two humanoid automatons; their chassis colors black and white, while a single red visor ran horizontally across what approximated their heads.

Shockingly, these things weren’t an unfamiliar sight to Darwin. He was certain he’d seen them somewhere before, but his scattered mind was at a loss for where and when.

The one odd thing the immortal did note, however, was how old they looked. Their paint jobs were chipped and flaking, exposing the rusted orange metal skin underneath.

While looking over his captors, Darwin spied the other four members of the Literature Club on the opposite side of the room. Each of the girls was flanked by their own pair of mechanical guards. They each stared at him with nervous looks adorning their visages, but none of them were panicking. Either they were becoming accustomed to being terrified – an idea that saddened the immortal’s heart – or they had more time to adjust than the recently unconscious immortal did.

Finally, Darwin noticed massive, faded yellow letters pained on the wall opposite of Elli and Poly. Although the deterioration made them somewhat difficult to read, the immortal was eventually able to decipher their meaning: “APART Processing Area.”

“You know, even after months of planning, a part of me never believed I’d have such illustrious company in my domain,” the unknown man said, as he turned and faced the room. His visage was far less intimidating that one would’ve expected, based on his voice. He was young, maybe mid-twenties. His eyes, however, were out of place. They looked older – tired, even – and crueler. “To have _the_ immortal in my home… this is an auspicious day.”

“Oh my god!” Darwin exclaimed, once their captor’s identity became apparent. “…Am I supposed to recognize you?”

“Heh, I wouldn’t expect you to,” the man said as he sat down in the metal chair behind his desk. “You and I have never met before today. Though I’m a huge fan of your work.”

“W-where’s Edward?” Sayori suddenly blurted out. The poor girl was shaking in fright and seemed surprised by her vocalization; as if the words forced themselves out of her mouth.

“I presume you’re referring to the half-man? He’s here, where he belongs,” the black-haired man cryptically stated, all the while refusing to turn his gaze away from Darwin. “Now, be silent. Your creator and I have much to discuss.”

“I don’t know who the hell you think you are, speaking to my friends with such disrespect,” the immortal coldly replied as tried to stand up, though his robot guards forced him back onto his knees. “Ow… granted, I literally don’t know who you are, so maybe we can start there?”

“Fair enough,” the hazel-eyed man said, resting his chin in his left hand. “My name is Warden, former field agent of APART, and delighted to make your–”

“’Warden?’” Natsuki suddenly interrupted, her usual vitriolic tone drowning out any fear that might have been present in her voice. “Geez, what is it with you guys and your lame made-up names–”

“That _is_ my name!” Warden growled while smashing his right fist against the desk. The old metal crumpled under the black-haired man’s hand, like tinfoil in a playful child’s mitts. The sudden noise startled everyone in the room, including Elli. Poly remained unfazed.

The enraged kidnapper breathed heavily after the sudden exertion, rage coating his visage. Taking a moment to compose himself, Warden calmly removed his hand from the indent and turned his attention back to the pink-eyed girl.

“And what did I say about talking?” The black-haired man asked, seemingly unaware or uncaring that he wasn’t addressing Sayori this time. “…We don’t have the luxury of choosing our names… nor the power they hold over us. Still, I wouldn’t dare mock the traumatic circumstances you ‘monsters’ have endured by changing my own. A new life deserves a new title. Isn’t that right… Damianos?”

The quartet turned their gaze towards Darwin. The tone of the man’s voice implied this was some big reveal; another secret the immortal had been keeping from them. Yet Darwin only stared back at Warden, a confused expression adorning his visage.

“Um… I think you have the wrong immortal super-genius,” the brown-eyed boy said, sincerely befuddled. “That’s not my name.”

Upon hearing this reply, Warden’s lips curled into a sinister smile. Their kidnapper began to chuckle ominously, immediately replacing Darwin’s confoundment with pure discomfort.

“I… heh, I’m sorry. It’s just… I wasn’t excepting to see so much of myself in you,” The black-haired man uttered, as he leaned back in his chair. “I was a foot soldier in APART’s war against the paranormal. My purpose was to die for them, for humanity… in order to keep everyone safe. Yet APART kept the truth about this world from the people they swore to protect, and they hoarded their supernatural spoils for themselves… despite everything I sacrificed. In that way, we’re alike… because the truth has been kept from you as well.”

After his little speech, Warden pointed with his right hand just off to Darwin’s right. The immortal turned his head and was immediately startled by the sudden appearance of Poly’s visage hovering over him. The brown-haired boy didn’t even hear the beast approach, and everyone (besides their captor) seemed surprised they hadn’t noticed his movement.

“APART is led by a collection of cowards too afraid of this world to do anything but lock it away. Our host is a selfish nobody, who believes possessing the unusual will somehow make him special,” the shadow monster said; its insulting statement apparently not bothering Warden in the least. “But you… you imprisoned the dangerous because you truly believed it would save lives. You did an evil thing for the best possible reasons. I’m so proud of you…”

Poly caressed Darwin’s bewildered face with his right hand; the dark appendage flowing across his skin like a stream over a stone. It was then that the brown-eyed boy noticed, for the first time in the many years since he first met this creature, its signature slasher-smile had flipped into a frown.

“…And I’m so sorry for the monster I made you into,” Poly apologized, before a rainbow-colored fluid swiftly began to coat the immortal’s face. While Darwin’s head silently thrashed underneath the liquid mask, a tether of the substance emanated from the shadow creature’s hand as it backed away. “You have my word, I will make this right.”

Upon finishing its speech, the same rainbow fluid began to spill out even faster from the many fissures on the monster’s back. Six multicolored tendrils each burst forth from one of Poly’s wounds, immediately seeking out the other people in the room.

Elli and Warden willingly let the liquid substance flow over their visages, the same way one would bask while the water rolls down their face while showering. Of course, the original four members of the Literature Club weren’t so open-minded.

Each of the girls tried to break free from their captors’ grips, but the robotic guards remained unfazed by their struggles. First Natsuki, then Yuri, and finally Monika; one by one each of the poor girls’ faces were devoured by whatever substance was emanating from the tendrils touching their foreheads.

Sayori, as the farthest one away from the monster, was the last to be touched. The coral-haired president fought the urge to burst into tears and curl into a ball on the floor; a human being can only handle so much incomprehensible terror in one day, after all. Yet, despite being scared out of her mind, Sayori remained calm. The four of them had gotten through so much already, and so a small part of her had to believe they’d survive whatever was about to come next too.

The rainbow appendage finally placed itself upon her face and, before the fluid had even covered her eyes, Sayori’s world gave way to darkness.

* * *

“Only children beg,” the unfamiliar figure said to Natsuki as he stared down at her. Based on how he towered over the young lady, this man seemed like a giant. The pink-haired girl couldn’t even look directly at his face, it hurt her eyes like staring at the sun.

Natsuki looked down at her hands and saw surprised by what she found. The fingers were stubbier and slightly chubby than usual, like a child’s. Looking over the rest of her form, the tsundere quickly realized her digits weren’t the only part of her that shared this trait. It was only when she saw the dirty-blond strands of overgrown hair dangling before her eyes that she realized this body wasn’t her own.

“Damianos, are you listening to me?” The man growled, causing Natsuki’s body to flinch. “You need to understand this essential truth. Children beg, men act… Walk with me.”

The figure forcefully took Natsuki’s hand in his own, as her legs began to move forward on their own accord. As they walked, the pink-haired girl noticed that her escort was wearing what looked to be a bizarre cross between a himation and a lab coat. Then she realized she seemed to be wearing a junior version of the same garb.

The duo strode through a large stone room, filled to the brim with various machines Natsuki couldn’t even begin to decipher the purpose of. The materials comprising them, however, were strange; a fusion of modern technology and archaic mechanism.

Even the lighting showed this, for every support pillar held a torch, rather than a more practical source of illumination. Despite the many open flames, the room was still incredibly dark and dreary; there didn’t seem to be a shred of light pouring through the many windows.

Above Natsuki were a series of catwalks, upon which several men and women in the same unusual uniforms appeared to be studying multiple bronze caskets. Each of these containers was dangling from a rope connected to the ceiling, and they occasionally twisted in the wind due to the movement of… whatever was inside them. Although the tsundere could actually see the faces of the workers above her, most of them were too far away to make out any distinctive details.

Eventually, the pair came to a halt just before another metal pod – this time closer to the ground – past the end of one of the lower catwalks. On the front of the container was a small glass window, which indicated the contents within was a murky, golden fluid.

“Your mother and I… we’ve allowed you to remain a child for far too long and, for that, I apologize,” the man’s words rang in the poor girl’s ears, and they didn’t sound quite right. It was as if he was speaking another language, yet her mind was processing it in a way that she could understand. “Today, however, we shall correct this error.”

From above, Natsuki saw two of the other workers push a man off of the catwalk, who swung forward due to the rope wrapped around his waist. His bindings were attached to an archaic version of a mechanical crane, the base of which wasn’t too far from the tsundere’s left. On the machine’s chassis stood a single lever, pointed upwards.

“You can’t do this!” The hanging man pleaded, panicked tears streaming down his face. “Please, just let me go!”

“Do you hear him begging?” The ominous man asked as he crouched down, his hand moving from Natsuki’s palm to her right shoulder. Although the tsundere was too confused to be as scared as she probably should’ve been, her body was still trembling. “This poor wretch is still a child. As tragic as that is, we’re going to at least make something useful out of him… Go pull that lever.”

Natsuki’s head turned to the man in surprise, yet her gaze quickly shifted to avoid eye contact. Once he’d released her shoulder, the co-vice president’s legs began moving her towards the crane’s control. Because she was too small to reach it, one of the other robed figures quickly got on all fours before her, acting as a human stepping stool.

Seemingly unperturbed by this act, Natsuki’s vessel quickly scaled the servant’s body. Standing atop the assistant’s back, the tsundere’s small hands gripped the lever as tight as they could. Her arms, however, hesitated; unwilling to pull downward.

“A child begs!” The mad scientist suddenly shouted right behind her, causing Natsuki’s heart to almost leap out of her chest. Even with the continued ringing in her ear, something about his gravelly voice was hauntingly familiar. “A. Man. Acts! Now do it!”

With that final outburst, Natsuki’s arms suddenly jerked the level downward. Her head wouldn’t turn to hear the poor man’s screams once the rope was released, nor did she see the splash of him landing within the bronze cauldron. She heard it all though; his terrified thrashing, the sizzling of caustic solution touching bare flesh, and the metallic scraping of a lid sealing the container shut.

“There now, it’s over… It’s okay to be sad, or scared. All that matters is that, today, you chose to be a man,” the man softly said as he picked her up and placed her back on the ground, having noticed the quiet tears flowing from her eyes. “I’ll be busy studying this latest specimen; spend the rest of the day however you see fit.”

As the scientist walked away, Natsuki’s wet eyes dared a quick glance at the container, which was rumbling with its new occupant’s movements. Her body seemed primed to run in the opposite direction, yet the pink-haired girl still managed to notice that the substance within had become a blend of multiple colors, before finally turning into a black sludge.

“That’s… different,” the man muttered, before Natsuki’s vessel seemingly couldn’t stand it any longer and sprinted away.

As tears rolled down cheeks that weren’t her own and adrenaline pumped through her newfound veins, it finally clicked in the tsundere’s mind why that man’s voice felt so familiar.

It reminded Natsuki of her father.

* * *

After fleeing from the sight of that poor man locked within the canister, Yuri’s vision shifted to a new scene. Now the gothic woman was lying face-down on a padded surface. Like in a massage table, a hole in furniture allowed her to still see the gray, tiled floor below her. She felt older than she was before, but still not as old as she was now.

Her arms and legs had been pinned to the table by what felt like leather restraints, while a metal brace held the co-vice president’s head in place. She soon heard the sound of approaching footsteps, but she couldn’t see anything more than the new arrival’s sandals from her vantage point.

The gothic woman then felt a sudden, horrific pain along the back of her neck. It was a cutting sensation, but not the euphoric kind she was used to inflicting upon herself. It was the kind of pain associated with betrayal, when someone you trust causes you harm.

Yuri’s body tensed up – her jaw clenching and her breath quickening – but didn’t make an effort to resist. The co-vice president felt hot blood pouring from the incision, which spilled unrestrained onto the floor below.

“There now, we’re halfway done,” a melodic, yet cold voice said; most likely the person operating on her. “Remember, you’re doing this for your family.”

Then, as Yuri was just about ready to pass out, a new sensation shocked her awake. She could feel a cold, metal object piercing her exposed wound, going all the way to the bone. In an instant her body started convulsing; each of Yuri’s nerves felt as if they were on fire.

Mercifully, the pain eventually subsided. As an archaic-looking syringe dropped to the floor and rolled into her field of view, Yuri felt quick hands stitching the incision closed. After the agony she’d just suffered, the continuous prick of the needle was nothing by comparison.

 “As a precaution, we’ll have to leave you like this for the next few hours. Your father and I are uncertain of the full range of… ‘effects’ you may experience,” the surgeon matter-of-factly stated as she applied a bandage to Yuri’s neck. “Still, you should be excited. Presuming you survive, we may have finally unlocked the secrets of the gods.”

Yuri’s form remained still as the woman’s footsteps grew farther and farther away, seemingly resigned to its fate as she left the room. Taking a closer look at the only thing in sight, the purple-eyed woman noticed a small pool of golden fluid forming at the tip of the needle left on the floor. 

* * *

Monika blinked, and her eyes opened to a new sight. No longer was she staring at the tile floor of a crude operating theater, but instead the sandstone walls of what appeared to be a dungeon. The arms that weren’t her own released their headlock on the figure before her, as they gently placed the unconscious guard on the ground.

Every couple of feet were the metal bars of a cell room door, each one inscribed with symbols the former president of the Literature Club didn’t recognize. There were many torches to light the way, yet each chamber seemed as dark as the deepest depths of the ocean. Many of the cages were empty, but her attention was solely on one that wasn’t.

Monika’s borrowed hands trembled as her fingers fumbled through the metal keyring. Finding what she needed, the emerald-eyed girl slid the key into the lock and undid the mechanism within.

“Damianos, isn’t it?” Said a familiar voice at the back of the cell, though Monika couldn’t place who it belonged to. As the creature spoke, its form began emitting a soft purple light. “You’re not exactly popular down here… You’re taking a great risk.”

“…I don’t care anymore,” the words exited the former club president’s mouth of their own accord, and she immediately knew who they belong to. The emerald-eyed girl presumed she’d been witnessing Darwin’s past, but now any doubt was gone from her mind. “I’ve remained silent for too long, and I can no longer stand idly by while innocent people suffer beneath my very feet.”

“…Good enough for me,” the monster said as it lumbered forward, revealing the stone visage of a familiar golem. Although Monika knew this was the first time her host actually met Beacon, knowing what would eventually happen filled her heart with sorrow. “What of your parents? I can’t imagine they’ll simply allow this to occur.”

As the golem exited the cage, the brown-haired girl’s trembling fingers began searching for the next key they’d need. As the monster passed by, the light emanating from Beacon’s form revealed her hands were stained with some dark substance.

“…I’m not worried about them anymore,” Monika muttered.

Having found what they needed, the pair worked diligently to free the remaining beasts from their cages. Some thanked Monika for their rescue. Others cursed Damianos’ name. Yet all took part in liberating their brothers and sisters from bondage.

With the remaining monster released, the group made their way to the mouth of the dungeon. It was dark outside, and rain was coming down hard. Thunder boomed throughout the night, causing the former president’s frame to shudder.

“Okay, let’s get out of here,” Monika cried out as her body prepared to leave. However, upon turning her attention to the horde behind her, she found them unmoving. “What are you–more guards will be here soon! We need to go, now!”

“Go? Go where?!” One of the monsters shouted; its skin dry reminiscent of a corn husk and covered in beady, red eyes. “We cannot return home as these… things! We’ll be slaughtered on sight!”

“You need to fix this!” Two different voices coming from the same creature demanded; its flesh bubble-gum pink, as two vertical rows of teeth on each side of its head were chattering. “You need to fix us!”

“I… I don’t know if I can,” Monika confessed, drawing upset murmurs from the crowd. “I don’t fully understand what my parents did to us–”

“Did to you?! You look the same!” A slithering mass of brown tentacles hissed. “And you– I can smell it on you. They can’t change us back! They’re gone! You ruined everything!”

“Your family has ruined us!” The pink-one spat from its two mouths, each one curled in what could either have been a frown or a sinister grin. “The way I see it, the only one left to pay for their crimes… is you.”

“…You can’t kill me,” Monika emotionlessly uttered; her body trembling despite the resignation in her voice. “I can’t die anymore.”

“That’s unfortunate, for you,” the multi-eyed creature replied as the swarm began to move towards the emerald-eyed girl. Beacon tried to intervein, but was effortlessly pushed aside by the vengeful horde.

Monika stepped back and fell into a puddle of mud outside the dungeon. Just as the creatures were about to descend upon her, she felt the familiar sensation of her mind-misfiring and growing numb.

Her neck giving way, the former president’s head splashed into the small pool she’d collapsed into, coating her in the liquid earth. One by one each of the monsters also fell, seemingly suffering the same fate. Only Beacon remained standing, his stone visage clearly twisted in confusion by whatever was occurring.

As Monika’s vision started to blur, she spied another figuring exiting the dungeon and stepping into the rainy night. Its body was as black as the night sky, yet the former club president could see a brilliant mess of colors cascading off of its form.

And then she could only see darkness. 

* * *

Each new vision had been more confusing for Sayori than the last, yet what she was currently witnessing defied mortal comprehension.

Her vision had become a swirling mass of colors and shapes. Although it was technically accurate to say it was akin to staring at two different kaleidoscopes while tripping on four kinds of hallucinogenic substances; that only scratched the surface of the experience. Sayori felt as though she could see the truth in everything all at once, yet it all blended together in such a way as to be impossible to decipher.

Despite this, the coral-haired girl’s hearing was working just fine, and she could make out the patter of rain and heavy footsteps sloshing through the mud.

“What did you just do?!” Beacon’s familiar voice cried out. He was presumably the large, purple blob overtaking the right side of her sight.

“I’ve granted them the kindness of freedom,” the responding sound sent shivers down the club president’s spine, before she recognized it came from her own mouth. “Now they will remain clean of this place’s accursed touch. Especially the boy…”

Sayori could feel one of her long, slithering limbs gently wiping the mud from a fleshy substance, but it was all too inhuman for her to fully understand what her body was doing.

“…You must watch over him; ensure he never becomes like… them,” the blue-eyed girl muttered, barely audible due to the pouring rain. “With his sacrifice, he should not be forced to follow in their crooked footsteps. He must never encage a living soul.”

“Yeah, well… you saw how some of these guys were acting around him, and it’s not like most of us were good people to start with,” the golem replied, a touch of fear present within his words. “Maybe… maybe we need to be… contained. I can’t even image the damage some of these abominations will cause if left to their own devices.”

“Perhaps you are correct. Such things are not my concern,” Sayori uttered, before a single line of white light streaked overhead. The audible clap of thunder came several seconds later; though it startled her, the coral-haired girl’s body remained stiff as a statue. “But not by him. He is brilliant but ignorant, and they… changed him, somehow. Made him like us. For the kindness he has done our kind, and the danger he poses, you must promise this.”

“…Damn, you could sell a life of poverty to an emperor,” Beacon replied, before Sayori felt a stone hand firmly clasp her own. “I guess I owe the kid one. You’ve got a deal.”

The moment their palms touched, however, the coral-haired girl felt her mind light up like a bonfire. She could sense herself pulling the memory of this conversation from the golem’s mind, even though Sayori had no idea how she could even recognize that.

“Do you know who I am?” She hissed.

“…No,” Beacon simply stated, as if he was in a trance.

“What are you going to do now?” Sayori asked, as her grin grew wider.

“I… I’ve got to watch out for the boy,” the golem uttered as he released her hand.

The president of the Literature Club watched as the purple mass hefted a brown blob onto its back, before trudging off into the distance. Sayori’s form stood motionlessly for what felt like an eternity; at any moment she expected her perspective to shift to another memory. Yet, nothing changed.

Finally, as the rain softly impacted against the surface of her skin, a quiet sentence slipped past her lips.

“You can almost see it too, can’t you? I know you can. Not the truth of all things, but the great lie binding us together. Open your third eye, and the rest… shall become clear.”

Although the meaning was lost on her, the sudden realization of who her vessel was talking to caused Sayori’s heart to plummet into her stomach.

“Now get out of my head before I do what you know is best for you.”

And then she woke up.

* * *

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free,” Sayori heard Poly utter as her eyes slowly opened; the club president’s stiff muscles felt like they hadn’t been moved for hours. “John 8:32”

Underneath the coral-haired girl’s feet was a small puddle of rainbow-colored fluid, the only proof that what she just experienced had actually transpired. The shadow monster – its tendrils having seemingly retreated back into his body – was slowly pacing the room, its usual creepy smirk showing signs of relief and nervousness.

“It’s a shame Beacon failed to steer you away from the path you chose… but I cannot pretend I share no blame in this tragedy,” the creature stated as it approached Darwin, who looked like he was shell-shocked. “I cannot deny the possibility that, had you known who you were, you never would’ve followed in your parents’ footsteps.”

Poly hunched over, peering at the face of the boy it deceived. All the while, the other people occupying this room were watching with bated breath; even the quartet of captive girls was too curious about whatever the beast would say next to even fully process the traumatic lifetime they just witnessed.

“I lost track of you over the centuries; you were starting to become more secretive and I… well, I had plenty of other matters to attend to. Yet, when the supernatural entities of the world began disappearing without a trace, I knew I’d made a mistake,” Poly explained, as its hand idly ran across the contours of Darwin’s face. “I allowed you to capture me, even though the second I saw you again I only wanted to beg you to stop… From within my cell, I reached out across the world and found who I needed to right this wrong. A man with the resources and willpower to safeguard humanity in your place, and a hopeless – yet underestimated – woman who wanted to see you beaten… but wasn’t as vengeful as her imprisoned companions.”

As the shadow monster continued to tell its story, Sayori noticed a small change in the immortal’s expression. His stunned visage was slowing changing to one of realization, as he began to understand how utterly he’d been fooled. Of course, this understanding would soon give way to different, more volatile emotions.

“I know you must feel hurt, but I only hope that – in time – I can fix you,” Poly whispered, barely audible to anyone except Darwin and itself.

“…F-fix me? Fix me?!” The brown-eyed boy suddenly exclaimed as anger overtook his visage. Darwin violently wrested himself out from his mechanical captors’ metal grip, catching everyone by surprise (even, seemingly, the robots who were once holding him). In a blind rage, the immortal firmly grasped onto Poly’s neck with his left hand, squeezing with a ferocity no one had ever seen from him before. “You broke me! You b-broke my mind! I– I can’t even think properly anymore, because of you!”

Tears began uncontrollably streaming down Darwin’s face; his face twisted by what some would call “ugly crying.” All the while Elli and Warden watched on, unflinching, as Poly seemed completely unaffected by the attack. The monster’s smile never changed.

“You stole my past! You put my friends in danger! You got Beacon killed! For nothing!” With every exclamation, Darwin brought his fist down upon the creature’s face – each hit more savage than the last – causing rainbow-colored fluid to leak out from between its teeth. Even then, as they fell to the floor, Poly still wouldn’t stop smiling.

Each hit sounded like a child’s limps desperately flailing against a brick wall, which echoed disconcertingly throughout the metal room. The immortal didn’t stop his assault until he seemingly wore himself out; his hand stained with the closest thing the creature had to blood. Darwin breathed heavily; centuries of anger and self-hatred expended in a single act of violence.

The immortal turned his tired gaze to the Literature Club. They looked afraid, and how could they not? In the past month, they’ve been thrown into a hostile new reality, faced with horrors beyond their imagination, risked their lives for someone who constantly misled them, and were then ripped away from the only real home they ever knew by a group of sociopaths.

Yet one look into their eyes and he knew right away, they weren’t afraid of their captors; not at that moment. They’d never seen this side of Darwin before, and it scared them.

“Feel any better?” Poly calmly asked, its unwavering smile unchanged, as a steel fist smashed against the back of the immortal’s head. The same metal hands peeled the brown-eyed boy off of the shadow creature, who almost casually rose off the floor; as if what just occurred was a mere temper tantrum.

“Alright, I think that’s more than enough excitement for today,” Warden said, before pointing his hand accusingly towards the quartet. “As for you four… well, we all saw the look on Darwin’s face when he saw yours. This man has borne witness to nearly the entirety of human existence. Yet, for some reason, you four matter to him. Your opinion of him matters to him. I can’t image why… but I’m sure I’ll find out, in time… Take them to their cells.”

With a single wave, the pairs of automata flanking each of the four girls made their way down a connecting hallway. The stone corridor was barely lit, and every so often another pathway would branch off from the one they were traveling through. These hallways were too dark to see down, and the noises coming from them were simply unnerving; not only could Sayori hear the horrendous screams of monsters, but also a myriad of voices begging for help.

Suddenly, the pairs of mechanical escorts carrying the club president shifted towards a new corridor, tearing the coral-haired girl away from her friends when hers didn’t. Just before they vanished from her vision, Sayori saw the other robots each altering their routes as well.

“N-no! Don’t separate us!” Natsuki cried out, as her and the other two girls’ frantic struggling against the robots’ metal chassis echoed throughout the concrete hallway.

At that moment, the blue-eyed girl felt a guttural fear building up within her chest, which she presumed her friends were experiencing as well. For the first time since coming to this world, each member of the Literature Club faced the encroaching reality that they were about to be utterly and truly alone.

Sayori cried out in terror, though the sound was drowned out by the matching wails of the imprisoned beasts. Her metal captors remained unfazed by her pleading. She thrashed and struggled, begging for something to save her. Yet nothing would.

Frightened tears then streamed down Sayori’s face as a horrible realization dawned on the president of the Literature Club; something that threatened to break any shred of hope she had left.

Her certainty of their survival was gone. There’s nothing she can do to save her friends this time. They’re all on their own.

* * *

“Put me down, you stupid tin cans!” Natsuki screamed while thrashing within her captor’s mitts, who continued to carry her unperturbed until they reached their destination.

The co-vice president’s tiny frame was unceremoniously dumped into the jail cell equivalent of a septic tank. The gray brick walls were coated in a thin layer of unidentifiable moisture, as more of what the pink-haired girl hoped was water occasionally dripped down from an overhead pipe. The rest of the room was bare; there was nowhere to sleep, and the tsundere presumed the bucket in the corner of the room was to be used in place of a lavatory.

“…Shit, I didn’t mean in here!” Natsuki groaned as she recovered from the fall.

Before the pink-haired girl had time to rise to her feet, the two mechanical guards had already slammed the door shut behind her. As the duo stomped away, the co-vice president placed her hands against the bars keeping her prisoner.

The door was cold, and the metal was rusting and flaking away. Yet the bars almost felt stronger because of this; as if resisting the test of time only hardened them. Unsurprisingly, despite the co-vice president’s desperate attempts to open it, the gate remained closed.

After overexerting herself in a panic, Natsuki tried to collect her thoughts while also allowing herself a chance to catch her breath. The doors clearly locked automatically, so it was unlikely any of them could escape due to a guard’s error. Then, after blindly running her right hand over the lock, Natsuki failed to find any sort of keyhole. The pink-haired girl silently prayed that this only indicated the door had to be opened somewhere else.

Then, across the hall, Natsuki spied something she hadn’t see while being “escorted” to her new domicile. The cell before her wasn’t contained by the same metal bars that she was, but instead an acrylic glass wall.

Behind the transparent barrier was a large tank of water, yet its color was unusual. There was a dark hue to it, but not like the darkness one might find at the bottom of the ocean. It looked contaminated, as if it hadn’t been filtered properly.

Then, out from the back of the tank, something pale began slowly crawling into view. The jagged claws upon each hand carried it forward, despite the clearly laborious nature of its movement; like a dehydrated man desperately pulling himself towards an oasis.

Natsuki quickly realized who was approaching her once the rest of it was visible, even though she was almost unrecognizable. The creature’s skin was gaunt; like a layer of rubber stretched over a laboratory skeleton. Her scales lacked the shine they usually had, and her pitch-black eyes gazed at the pink-haired girl with an indescribable hunger. The starved beast’s usually beautiful hair looked so dead that it almost seemed to be weighing down her head, while partially obscuring a metal slab that appeared bolted to her forehead.

“…Abysmal? Jesus Christ, what have they done to you?” Natsuki whispered, astonished to find the monster – who once held Darwin hostage at the bottom of the sea – lying in front of her. Even though she once threatened the lives of everyone the tsundere held dear, she couldn’t help feeling sorry for the pitiful being she now saw.

The mermaid dragged herself as close to the glass as she could, before beginning to tap against it with one of her claws. Natsuki watched, expecting something to happen; yet, eventually, she only grew annoyed by the incessant noise.

“Ugh… I’m sure you can’t hear me in there, but if this is some kind of petty revenge, it’s really–” The co-vice president’s complaints ceased once she noticed that the tapping wasn’t random; there was a clear pattern.

Two dots. A dash. Three more dots. Another dash. Then two dots again.

That golden and purple plate must be blocking Abysmal’s telepathy, which explained her emaciated appearance. Now she was trying to communicate, using the only means available.

Natsuki silently thanked God for the Morse code lessons she picked up in Girl Scouts. Then, after a quick reconsideration, begrudgingly thanked the simulation for giving her memories of being in Girl Scouts.

The co-vice president grabbed the empty bucket from the back of and tried banging it against the metal bars. The sound was surprisingly loud, echoing throughout the entire hallway. Even the wailing of the damned monsters died down; their curiosity regarding this new noise managing to distract them from their suffering.

“ _Why are you here?_ ” Natsuki slowly tapped, uncertain if the mermaid could even hear her, while gaining an appreciation for just how tiring Morse code becomes when it involves repeatedly slamming two objects together.

“ _Prisoner. Like you,_ ” Abysmal responded, her pathetic strikes against the glass somehow sounding just as exhausted as she looked. “ _Darwin too?_ ”

“ _Yes,_ ” the pink-haired girl replied, her arms tired from all the effort. “ _Escape plan?_ ”

Despite lacking a mouth, the mermaid's cheekbones curled in such a way that it made her body’s spams seem like laughter. Eventually, once her pained chuckled finally died down, Abysmal resumed tapping against her enclosure.

“ _Told you. Got revenge. Hurt Darwin… I’m sorry,_ ” the aquatic predator struggled to explain, causing Natsuki to remember the cryptic promise she made Monika in the Mariana Trench. “ _Hunger hurt me, not kill. You die here._ ”

“ _…Whatever,_ ” Natsuki curtly replied, uncertain why she was even still talking to this hateful creature. “ _You don’t know us. My friends will save me. Save you!_ ”

“ _Liar! I saw into_ green-eye’s _mind!_ ” The mermaid suddenly exclaimed in Morse code, enraged by what sounded like a false promise. Abysmal’s body slammed against the glass wall with renewed vigor, causing the tsundere to tumble backwards in surprise. “ _One strong, three weak! One whole, real! Others fake! Fragments! You’re nothing! You don’t matter!_ ”

As the mermaid’s tirade finally winded down, Natsuki sat perfectly still; her breath panicked and her tiny frame shaking with fright. Even though she knew she was safe from the pitiful creature on the opposite side of the hall; the sudden outburst only compounded the poor girl’s already frightening circumstances. The fact that her insults hit so close to home, to the pink-eyed girl’s own feelings of helplessness and insignificance, didn’t help.

“ _…Can’t escape who we are. Can you? Maybe,_ ” Abysmal tapped out before her body sunk to the floor, seemingly exhausted by her tantrum. As mucus-y tears oozed out of the mermaid’s black eyes, reminding Natsuki of the guilt and pain this ancient entity must be experiencing, she weakly offered one last statement before passing out. “ _But not likely._ ”

The hall then fell silent, before the pained howling resumed. 

* * *

Although she couldn’t have known it, Yuri’s cell was an exact replica of her girlfriend’s. From the rough concrete floor to the dripping pipe above her, the purple-haired girl’s new domicile was a clear product of an uncreative or uncaring designer. The only unique feature she noticed was a nearby door, a real one, with an overhead label that read “Control Room.”

Despite her own worries regarding her imprisonment, Yuri was far more concerned with the fate of her paramour. Each time Natsuki’s plea rang out in her mind, the co-vice president’s body physically shuddered. Yet, despite how badly she wanted to run to her beloved, Yuri could see no way out of this stone vault.

“So, tell me… how did they hurt him?”

Before the gothic woman even had a chance to fully take in her surroundings, a familiar, gravelly voice pulled her attention towards the cell opposite of her own. Yuri cautiously approached her cell door, her eyes squinting in an attempt to better see in the dim lighting.

Although it was somewhat difficult to tell, the creature before the co-vice president was definitely the same monstrosity of chitin and bone that once threatened to torture Yuri and her friends. However, steel restraints pinned his armored carapace to the back wall of his cell, severely undermining his intimidating aura. His mandibles were secured by a leather muzzle and the tip of his tail was encased in a metal sphere welded to the ground. The once terrifying beast now looked more like a sick dog, secured by an old-fashioned ball and chain.

“I know you… Scorpius, correct?” Yuri asked, in a hushed tone, as if she were afraid the other horrors locked away would take notice of her should she speak too loudly.

“Oh look, it remembers me. Must be the smart one,” the monster sardonically replied; his attitude surprising the gothic woman, considering his circumstances. “Now, I believe I asked you a question. Your keeper; the immortal. How did they hurt him?”

“He’s not my… they, um, the shadow creature – Poly – returned memories of his past that were stolen,” the purple-haired girl reluctantly explained; figuring there was no harm indulging the monster this time. Not like she had anything better to do at the moment. “Darwin didn’t take it well… how did you–”

“Oh, I’m intimately familiar with the feeling of that man’s suffering. See, I’m not like the other prisoners here; left to starve and rot. I feed off suffering, literally. And I can sense it; taste it, even,” the arachnoid explained, his mandibles twisting into as much of a crooked smile as the muzzle would allow, while his carapace shifted under the metal restraints. “Sure, I’m a little stiff, but this is a vast improvement over my previous imprisonment. Darwin kept the other freaks so comfortable that I always… unsatisfied. Not here, though. And the variety! There are so many different kinds of pain here! For instance, not too far from us, that little pink friend of yours is deliciously holding back tears. Gods, her self-loathing is so–”

“W…what is wrong with you?! A m-madman abducts and locks us away in these inhumane cages, and you’re grateful?!” Yuri interrupted with far more vitriol than she expected, upon realizing that there was quite a bit of harm in indulging the sadistic creature. “You’re sick!”

“…Heh, yes. I am. As are you,” Scorpius calmly replied, causing Yuri’s angered expression to be replaced by a confused stare. “Oh, don’t try to deny it. I can smell it on you. In fact, I’d say you’re worse than I am! My urge to hurt others is a necessity, but you… you get off on it! And I thought I was cruel.”

“Hmph, you clearly haven’t the faintest idea of what you speak,” the purple-haired girl shot back, though she was unnerved by the arachnoid’s seeming awareness of her darker desires. “Although I will confess to… harming myself in the past, I’ve never turned my knife on those closest to me! And, frankly, I’m insulted you would presume I’d take pleasure in–”

Before Yuri could finish her tirade, the sadistic monster burst into a fit of hysterics so loud it drowned out the cacophony of screams emanating from the adjoining hallways, while also causing the unnerved girl’s body to break out in a cold sweat.

“And here I thought you were the smart one! I… I’m sorry, I just thought you knew!” Scorpius cryptically stated, his jollity somehow making the co-vice president more nervous than anything else. “See, when you hurt yourself, it may seem like the damage is only self-inflicted. However, your friends know all about your proclivities, correct? And that knowledge… well, it’s harmful. They spend each moment secretly worrying that today will be the day you give into temptation. Oh, they won’t tell you this, because they don’t want to make you feel guilty, but that doesn’t make it less true. So, you promise it’s over; that you’ll never cut into your own flesh ever again. But then you do, because you’re selfish, and the cycle begins anew. Do you understand now? When you hurt yourself… you’re also hurting the ones you care for.”

As she listened to the monster’s speech, Yuri slumped against the right side of her cell wall in distress. Every logical part of the gothic woman’s mind knew not to trust what the beast before her said. If Scorpius truly fed on suffering, then it seemed obvious that this was just an attempt to hurt her.

Yet – as the gothic girl sat upon the cold prison floor – the arachnoid’s words still sparked new, concerning thoughts within her mind. Yuri was always so worried over what others thought of her, that she never considered what her friends might be feeling because of her.

“Your mere existence… it’s traumatizing. It’s too late to change that… so why even bother trying?” The creature softly asked, its voice somehow cutting through the symphony of suffering around them. “Live the life you wish to, regardless of the whims of others. They’ll never accept you for who are – not really – and it’s unjust that you should deny a part of yourself in a futile effort for their approval… After all, that’s what the blade’s really for, isn’t it?”

Yuri looked down at her right coat pocket, surprised to find the combat knife sticking out. The purple-hair girl had completely forgotten she still had the weapon she borrowed from Darwin’s collection, and was shocked that it hadn’t been confiscated by the robot guards.

The co-vice president of the Literature Club unsheathed the blade, and carefully placed it in her left palm. It was funny how something like this could both feel so astonishingly light, while also weighing down her hands as if it was the heaviest thing in the world.

Yuri’s eyes then fell upon the bare flesh of her left arm, her torn sleeve making it tantalizingly visible. The gothic girl’s grip tightened around the knife’s handle, almost instinctively, as her breathing began to suddenly quicken.

Everything that’s happened to Yuri and her friends, every moment of fear and suffering they’ve endured, it finally reached a tipping point in this dank, concrete box. No matter how much she tried to purge the compulsion creeping into her mind, the purple-haired girl’s thoughts kept coming back to the same phrase: _It’s too much._

Repeating, unending, like a skipping record; she couldn’t escape this feeling.

_It’s too much._

Hyperventilating, Yuri slowly brought the knife towards her exposed arm.

_It’s too much!_

The cold steel touched warm flesh, sending shivers of fear and excitement throughout her body.

_IT'S TOO MUCH!_

Tears fell freely from Yuri’s purple eyes. Her veins pounded underneath her fragile skin with lust, begging for the sharp blade to release the tension and free the crimson fluid from its vascular prison.

**_IT'S TOO MUCH!_ **

Swiftly, the frightened girl returned the knife to its sheath and stuffed it back into her coat pocket. Yuri turned her clouded gaze towards the arachnoid. Wiping the tears away, Yuri saw the creature staring at her with hunger in its eyes; his brown muzzle stained a darker color with drool.

Seeing this, the gothic girl was certain she did the right thing. Yuri couldn’t sacrifice everything she’d worked for because of this sadistic creature’s taunts. She wouldn’t sustain this scavenger with her pain, nor would she feed her own demons ever again. At that moment, Yuri was certain of this.

“Heh, you must be so proud. Today you could’ve given into temptation, and you didn’t,” Scorpius suddenly said; his condescending tone, despite not getting what he wanted, instantly shattered the purple-haired girl’s conviction. “Yet, that’s the thing about today… There’s always tomorrow.”

And just like that, Yuri was no longer certain of anything anymore. 

* * *

Unsurprisingly, Monika’s cell room wasn’t a luxurious hotel suite. But you already knew that, didn’t you?

Obviously, escaping this dungeon was as much on Monika’s mind as it was on anyone else’s. Yet, a small part of her was too plagued by fear to fully commit to that idea. Even if they escaped, how could they ever go back to the way their lives were before?

Back in the bunker, the former president of the Literature Club had almost crossed a line she swore she never would again. Even if her friends had already forgiven her, Monika was uncertain if she could ever forgive herself. And what if she were to lose control again? Were the people she loved ever safe around her?

The brown-haired girl was so lost in her own thoughts that she almost didn’t see the apparition sitting in the opposite cell. The monster known as Prophet stared back at Monika with her sunken eyes, yet they revealed no emotion she could discern. The creature’s body remained pointed towards one of the concrete walls, as if the emerald-eyed girl’s arrival was barely worth a side-glance.

The phantom was unrestrained and appeared exactly the same as when the former club president last saw her. Granted, she still looked haunting, but she didn’t seem to be in any pain.

“This one knows you have questions,” Prophet said before Monika even had a chance to utter a single syllable, her ringing voice drowning out every other sound in the concrete hallway. “This one gives you permission to ask them.”

The emerald-eyed girl understood this was a distraction, even if it wasn’t a malicious one on the creature’s part. Monika’s priority should’ve been rescuing her friends, and she’d seen enough movies to know that knowledge of the future could be dangerous.

Yet – as she saw no way out at the moment – the former club president simply couldn’t resist this opportunity; especially since there was so much she still didn’t know. Ignoring her doubts, the first question flew almost uncontrollably past Monika’s lips.

“Are my friends and I going to escape from this place?” The brown-haired girl asked, deciding to start with a relevant query while also leaving as little room for ambiguity in her wording as possible.

“…Yes,” Prophet eventually responded; her voice ringing slightly louder than usual. The affirmative answer was music to Monika’s ears, though the change in the apparition’s usual speaking style still unnerved her a little.

“Thank God,” the emerald-eyed girl sighed with relief, before launching straight into a follow-up question. “How do we do it? Is there another way out of these cells?”

The monster stared silently at Monika. Something about its unblinking gaze told the brown-haired girl that this creature wouldn’t answer that query, or maybe it couldn’t. Eventually, after waiting a couple minutes and still receiving no results, Monika decided to stick to yes or no questions.

“Um… alright, how about…” the emerald-eyed girl muttered as she tried to think of something else; her brain eventually concocting one she was somewhat afraid to hear the answer for. “Are we… are all of us going to get out of this alive?”

“No,” Prophet replied, this time without hesitation. Monika’s heart plummeted into her stomach. The former club president fought back the urge to ask who, certain this would be a futile effort.

“Is…” the brown-haired girl’s mind raced to form another question, trying to distract herself from the horrifying knowledge she just obtained. Monika eventually recalled something she and her friends still wanted to know; though the former club president wasn’t really that concerned with the answer right now, but she couldn’t think of anything else to ask. “Is Darwin still hiding anything from us?”

“Yes,” the apparition simply stated, and Monika could’ve sworn its torn mouth was twisted into a smile. The emerald-eyed girl wished she could’ve said she was more surprised, but it’d be a lie to say she wasn’t expecting this answer.

Then, Monika realized the meaning of her own words. She’s intended to say “keeping,” since she knew her immortal friend’s scattered mind caused him to withhold many secrets accidentally. Yet, she’d said “hiding,” and Prophet’s confirmation meant he must be deliberately keeping something from the other members of the Literature Club.

Monika wanted to think longer on this, yet the constant ringing in her ears proved too distracting to keep her mind on task. The emerald-eyed girl didn’t even notice this sound was occurring without the monster speaking, as she was too disconcerted by the itching sensation inside her head.

“Ah… um… w-when will we escape?” Monika asked, so unfocused that she completely forgot the “yes or no” limitations. Which made it all the more surprising when Prophet actually responded.

“Soon,” the ringing was now louder than ever, so much so that the former club president didn’t even hear the banging noise coming from within the overhead pipe.

Blood trickled from Monika’s ears, and a logical part of her knew that she needed to stop. Yet, she couldn’t help herself from asking more questions. It was like a compulsion, and this time it felt as if the query was almost pulled out of her by an outside force.

“Am I going to hurt someone again?”

“…Yes,” the apparition eventually said, the corners of its torn mouth now pointing downward. Monika almost missed the perfect line of fluid cascading down from the creature’s face, which somehow didn’t seem to be emanating from her sunken eyes. It was as if they just appeared.

Meanwhile, the ringing reached a deafening crescendo. The emerald-eyed girl coughed, releasing a spray of blood onto the concrete floor. Directly below her ears, the white fabric of Monika’s shirt collar was stained crimson, and her eyes welled up due to the pain.

The former president gripped the iron bars before her, struggling to remain upright. As her whole body felt as if it was being shaken apart, Monika still found herself asking one last question even as her mind begged her to stop.

“W-will I… will I…” the brown-haired girl’s words felt like knives being dragged across the inside of her throat, each syllable strengthening the copper taste in her mouth, before she could no longer endure the agony and screamed out her query with every ounce of will she had left. “Will I ever make things right?!”

“…No,” Prophet said, her single word cutting through the ringing like a searchlight locating a ship within a fog.

As the sound mercifully subsided, Monika weakly wiped the tears from her eyes just in time to see that the apparition’s mouth had returned to a devilish grin, though the vertical stains remained on her face. The creature then said one last cryptic statement, which somehow didn’t seem to be directed towards the former president of the Literature Club.

“But… you already knew that, didn’t you?”

Before she even had a chance to process what she just heard, the blood loss finally took its toll. Monika’s limp form collapsed onto the cold concrete ground, as the undead seer returned to staring at the wall before her. 

* * *

If you were to guess the nature of Sayori’s new abode, you’d probably presume it’s a dark and cold little tomb. And you’d be incorrect.

Once she peered beyond the iron bars, the light emanating from the opposite cell radiated pure heat. As the coral-haired girl shielded her eyes with her right hand, her left one felt the pleasing warmth of the metal door before her.

Sayori’s sight eventually adjusted enough that she could make out the shape of whatever stood before her, though it didn’t actually explain much. It seemed to be a metal pod, similar in shape to a sarcophagus. On the “head” of the casket was a thin strip of acrylic glass, from which the near-blinding light was coming from.

“…Kid, is that you?” A familiar, arrogant voice called out from within the pod, causing all of the puzzle pieces to finally click within Sayori’s mind.

“…Speed Demon?” The president of the Literature Club asked, astonished to find the volcanic monster in this place. “What are you doing here? I thought APART had you?”

“Are you saying this place doesn’t belong to APART? Because, to be honest, I can’t really tell,” the speedster explained, his cocky tone muffled somewhat by the metal surrounding him. “After that creepy fucker in the gas mask knocked me out, I woke up here. I kinda assumed this was like a high-security cell or something… So, I’m guessing whoever that prick was nabbed you too?”

“Heh, are you sure you aren’t also a prophet?” Sayori joked, though there was an unmistakably fearful quiver in her voice. “It’s really good to see you, by the way… and I’m sorry that we allowed this to happen to you.”

“It’s good to see you too kid, but you ain’t got nothing to apologize for,” the monster assured, his tone far calmer than the coral-haired girl had ever heard before. “I’ve had a fair amount of time to think about… well, everything. Don’t get me wrong, I still want to set Darwin on fire a few more times… but he never treated me like this. I’ve been cooped up in this casket for so long. Unable to run; hell, I can barely move. Just… you showed me kindness and, after being alone for so long… I shouldn’t have threatened you, or your friends. I’m sorry ki… Sayori.”

“…Apology accepted,” the coral-haired girl replied, hoping that the creature was able to see her genuinely grateful smile. “And I know it’s probably not much comfort, but I’m glad you’re not alone anymore. Since I’m here, and all…”

“…Heh, me too kid. Me t–” Speed Demon’s remark was suddenly cut off by a large banging noise coming from the metal pipe above Sayori’s head. “The hell was tha–”

The president of the Literature Club backed away from the cell door just in time to avoid a large segment of the steel conduit collapsing on top of her. Several water droplets and a small cloud of dust flew up in Sayori’s face once the piece hit the ground, obscuring her vision.

By the time the billow began to dissipate, an unfamiliar figure had risen from the debris. It seemed disoriented, like the sudden landing had been just as unexpected for it as it was for the blue-eyed girl.

The entity was like nothing Sayori had ever seen before. Its red and black skin shone with a metallic sheen, like the chassis of an old car. Its form was angular and sharp; everything from its chin to its toes looked like an instrument of torture. Its face lacked the typical features one might find on a human’s visage; instead of eyes or a mouth, there was simply a six diamond-like shapes dotted evenly across its cheeks.

“Hrgh… damnation! That was… unpleasant,” the creature spat, despite having no lips for words to emanate from. The monster’s head suddenly snapped towards Sayori, its neck making a sickening crunch as it did so. “…And what in Hell are you supposed to be?”

“I… I kinda feel like I s-should be a-asking you t-that,” the confused and frightened girl stammered, though she did her best to hide her terror. However, something about the creature’s manner of speaking caused a flash of recognition in Sayori’s mind. “Wait… are you an… imp?”

“An imp?! You insult me!” The metallic beast bellowed, causing the club president to stumble backwards in surprise. As the creature straightened its posture, it suddenly seemed to tower over Sayori. “I am Chrysalis! An archdemon! A grand general in our lord’s army! Mountains shake in fear upon my approach, and the sea itself burns at my very touch!”

“…Guess it takes all kinds,” the blue-eyed girl squeaked, a single bead of sweat running down her face as she pressed her index fingers together. “You’re… very different than Ace…”

“Ah, you’re familiar with the cocotte suffering delusions of humanity,” Chrysalis said, as it ran a clawed hand over the metal door; his visage still remaining trained on Sayori. “I don’t suppose she’s the reason I’m in this repulsive locale and had to escape my confines through that fifthly pipe? My place in the Underworld’s hierarchy is certainly a coveted one, and that succubus always did seem to have higher ambitions.”

“Man, you just love to hear yourself talk, don’t you?” Speed Demon suddenly called out, causing the metallic creature’s head to snap in the opposite direction. “Is your entire species this narcissistic, or is it just you?”

“Hmph, not like I could expect you to know either way,” the real demon hissed. Meanwhile, Sayori had retreated to the back of the room and was holding up the lone bucket like a shield. The club president hoped that this entity would prove benevolent but, so far, she’d be presented with little evidence to believe so. “Every infernal being knows of the great imposter, dragging our name through the mud.”

“Huh, I guess that makes me more famous than you then,” the volcanic creature replied, and Sayori could’ve sworn she saw the archdemon’s entire body twitch. “Because I’ve never even heard of you before.”

“Enough! I haven’t the time to waste on you,” Chrysalis said, its vision now falling on the broken pipe above it. “Whoever imprisoned me refuses to provide any sustenance. No doubt to keep us weak. I cannot remain in this place any longer, and that arduous escape attempt has left me severely… parched.”

With that final word, the archdemon’s entire body suddenly lurched towards Sayori. The startled girl threw her bucket in self-defense, which (unsurprisingly) bounced harmlessly off the monster’s carapace.

“Hey, what the hell’s going on out there?!” Speed Demon shouted, as Chrysalis knocked the coral-haired girl to the ground. “I can barely see anything!”

Sayori cried out, only for the behemoth to quickly cover her mouth with his right hand. Its sharp shell cut into her lips, and the club president could taste the faintest hint of blood.

“Of all the places I could’ve fallen, it’s fortunate there was a human hereeeeeeeeeeee–” the creature’s voice seemingly became stuck on that last vowel, as its head started to split apart right down the middle.

“What the fuck are you doing to Sayori?!” The volcanic monster asked, though this time its tone sounded almost scared. “Don’t hurt her! Please!”

Inside the opening was a pulsating, white fleshy substance, with sharp teeth jutting out at random places. After an especially violent convulsion, a red tendril shot out of the center of the mass. At the tip was a silver tube-like organ, akin to the proboscis of a mosquito.

“Leave her alone!” Speed Demon called out, this time far angrier, as he thrashed within his metal container. Tears welled up in Sayori’s eyes as Chrysalis’ barbed tongue hovered closer to the young lady’s neck; her jugular almost visible due to the frantic beating of her heart.

Despite her absolute terror, the club president still managed to notice the room heating up. Training her gaze past her attacker, Sayori saw that Speed Demon’s casket was no longer moving but seemed to be glowing with an almost orange light.

“I said: Leave! Her! Alone!” The false demon bellowed, as his container suddenly exploded outward. The coral-haired girl wasn’t quite sure how to comprehend what happened next; it was as if a beam of pure heat was fired from the opposite cell, burning through both metal doors before impacting Chrysalis’ back.

The archdemon squealed in agony, recoiling away from his prey as his carapace began to melt. Sayori’s legs started to warm up due to the radiating heat, and the room quickly became filled with the scent of cooked meat.

Once the assault came to an end, Chrysalis collapsed into a fetal position; its breathing pained. The now free speedster fell onto his knees, his molten form lacking its usual glow. A shrill alarm sounded throughout the prison, though the blue-eyed girl hardly noticed it.

After finding the strength to do so, Sayori rose to her feet and tiptoed around the whimpering archdemon. The club president then gently pushed into the metal door, which opened without any resistance now that the lock had been melted down.

Sayori then rushed to Speed Demon’s side and – without thinking – placed her hands on the monster’s left shoulder. To her surprise, his earthen form was cool to the touch.

“H-holy crap! Are y-you okay?” The coral-haired girl asked, as the fearful tears on the cusp of her eyelids began to dry.

“…S-so, do you think… all demons drink blood? Or was that just… that guy’s thing?” Speed Demon replied, his snark somewhat undone by how exhausted he sounded.

Sayori sighed with relief, both because her friend was unharmed and because she avoided a grizzly demise once more. _Those were becoming too common of an occurrence_ , she decided to herself.

“Here, let me help you,” the club president offered as she hoisted the monster to his feet. The duo hobbled their way towards the cell entrance, each too feeble to move any faster than at a snail’s pace. “…By the way, did you know you could do… all of that?”

“Kid, if knew I had that beam in my arsenal this entire time, do you think I’d still be here?” The monster replied, causing the both of them to weakly chuckle. “Now, we gotta find a way out of h… well, shit…”

Following her friend’s gaze, Sayori spotted two of Warden’s mechanical servants approaching them. She hadn’t even heard their approach, the alarm masking the sound of their metallic footsteps.

“W-what do we do?” The blue-eyed girl asked, as she tried to back away from the robotic duo growing ever closer.

“Take a page from my book, kid…” Speed Demon, however, broke away from Sayori’s helping hand as the room’s temperature began to rise again and an orange glow returned to the volcanic creature’s form. “And run!”

In less than the blink of an eye, Speed Demon had dashed directly into the mechanical guards. Superheated claws swiftly dug into metal flesh, looking for any vulnerable areas.

These robots, however, were clearly built for creatures such as him. Their chassis wouldn’t yield to the monster’s assault. With a computer’s precisions, one of them eventually managed to grab hold of the speedster’s right arm. The other then bashed the monster’s face in with a mechanical fist, causing molten blood to spill onto the floor.

Sayori was frozen in place. While the blinding speed at which the fight was occurring didn’t allow her much time to process, there was more to it than that. Though whether her hesitance was due to not wanting to leave a friend behind, or a fear of facing this nightmare dungeon alone, was unclear.

“Get out of here!” Speed Demon cried out, upon noticing that his coral-haired friend was still here, before the mechanical guards slammed him hard into the concrete floor.

Convinced she couldn’t be of any help anyways, Sayori sprinted down the opposite hallway. As she ran, monsters in other cells screamed out for her to free them; either pleading or demanding. Occasionally a clawed hand or tendril would reach out for her, forcing the blue-eyed girl to do her best to either avoid or dodge them.

Sayori wanted to cry; everything that was happening was far too much for her. For anyone. Yet she didn’t. Despite how afraid she was, the blue-eyed girl understood how important this chance for those she cared about.

For every moment she leapt in front of her friends – trying to shield them from harm – just to fail them each time, only served to accelerate Sayori’s growing sense of helplessness. Now, with no Player to rescue them from oblivion this time, she knew this was her chance to earn her presidential title.

Determination overriding terror, the coral-haired girl pressed on down the poorly-illuminated hallway. Deep in her bones, Sayori could feel that unexplained sense of certainty returning. She was going to save the Literature Club.

She just had to figure out how.

* * *

“You know… I really admire you,” Warden calmly stated as he plunged a needle into one of the veins in Darwin’s right arm.

“You’ve got a funny way of showing it,” the immortal grimaced as he tested the restraints keeping him strapped to the steel slab. Unsurprisingly, they didn’t give. His movements caught the attention of a nearby security robot, though it didn’t take any action against his feeble movements.

Darwin could tell the room he was in was ordinarily supposed to be clean. The walls were a stark white color, a far cry from rusted gates or concrete hallways. If not for the chipped or peeling paint, this place might’ve actually looked like a sterile medical center.

Yet, the signs of neglect were just as present here as they were in the rest of the facility. Along with the decaying paint job, the brown countertops were coated in a noticeable layer of dust. One of the overhead light fixtures flicked inconsistently, which didn’t seem to distract the psychopath from his work. Darwin could only hope the medical tools were at least clean; he’d dealt with tetanus before and it was usually far from enjoyable.

As the container connected to the needle in Darwin’s arm filled with his blood, the white-haired Elli entered the room. She always looked so skittish wherever she went, but seeing the immortal lying on the operating table seemed to calm her down. Rage can have that effect on people.

“Those girls are in their cells. Though I’m still certain it’s unnecessary. Outside of a few odd hair or eye colors, they seem pretty normal,” the quiet woman explained, before rubbing her chin with her left index finger in contemplation. “Well, except for that one with the ponytail. I don’t know what it is, but something’s definitely off with her.”

“Thank you, Elli,” Warden replied, his tone barely hiding how pleased he was with this whole situation. “You’re free to do as you wish now. I’m sure my new friend and I have much to dis–”

“He’s going to do the same thing to you,” Darwin suddenly said to the white-haired girl, catching her by surprise. “You have to know this already. He’s only treating you differently than the rest of the monsters he’s got locked up because he knows he can use you. When he can’t anymore, he’ll lock you away too.”

The black-haired man looked up at Elli and smiled. It wasn’t a friendly smile; it was the kind of grin a serial killer gives to his victims once they’ve realized they’re doomed. It was haunting to look at; if it unnerved the girl in the hoodie, she didn’t show it.

“…I know that, but at least I’ll see it coming this time,” Elli eventually replied, the force behind her voice noticeably stronger than usual. “See, he’s going to do to you exactly what you did to me. Only he won’t lie and claim he’s trying to help you.”

“…Elli, I know I failed you–” the immortal began, before the electrokinetic woman cut him off with a wave of her hand.

“Save it,” the white-haired girl leaned in close to Darwin. He could see the anger in her eyes, as well as a hint of disappointment. “I’m not stupid. I know he’s just going to try to imprison me too… but were you ever planning on letting me go?”

The brown-haired boy’s words became caught in his throat. He wanted to explain that he never stopped looking for a way to help her control her powers. He wanted to tell her how sorry he was for never realizing she eventually figured it out on her own. He wanted to show her how his scattered mind made it difficult to focus on anything other than the never-ending stream of horrors he dealt with on a daily basis, and that he’d didn’t mean to neglect her.

Darwin just didn’t know how to say without making excuses for his mistake.

The immortal didn’t get the chance to try. Seemingly satisfied by his silence – or, at the very least, having expected it – Elli quietly stormed out of the room.

“Heh, she’s fun,” Warden murmured as he removed the syringe from Darwin’s arm. The black-haired man handed the vial of blood to the nearby robot, which then left the room with its prize. “They’re cool, right? Like this abandoned facility, APART threw those robots away when they proved too expensive to continuously manufacture. They intended for them to replace their field soldiers; minimize human causalities. Guess that would’ve put my friends out of a job… but then they’d still be alive…”

“This isn’t going to work. If you’re using APART’s resources, they’ll find out about this eventually,” the immortal replied, those his tone sounded uncertain. “Besides, your beef clearly isn’t with me. If you let my friends and I go, I can help you.”

“Heh, I wouldn’t worry about my former employers. This facility runs on an independent solar grid. By the time they realize what I’ve done… well, my plan doesn’t end with capturing creepy critters,” the psychopath explained as he slipped on a pair of latex gloves. “But, you’re correct. Despite your many sins, you’ve done me no wrong. You’re just… part of the plan…”

The hazel-eyed boy slowly walked over towards one of the counters and removed a set of stainless-steel tools from a nearby drawer. They looked brand new, a stark contrast to the nature of the room itself.

“Where was I? Ah, yes…” Warden muttered as he returned to Darwin’s side, scalpel in hand. Apparently, he was interested in more than a blood sample. “As I said before, despite practically being from two different realities, you and I are a lot alike. We’re both… controlling, to put it politely. But there’s a key difference between us, and it isn’t – to use simplistic terms – that you’re the good guy and I’m… not. No, it’s that you’re unique and I’m… replaceable. Interchangeable… Unimportant.”

Suddenly, Warden leaned in close and pried the immortal’s right eyelid open with his fingers. The sharp instrument hovered menacingly over Darwin’s eye; the only thing holding it back being the will of its wielder.

“But I’m going to fix that. We’re going to fix that,” his baritone words were infinitely more terrifying with a weapon in hand, but Darwin couldn’t help but notice his wry smirk. “Also, I wasn’t able to get the proper tools for enucleation before tonight. So, since you’ll likely be spending the next few hours screaming, now’s the time to ask anything else that might be on your mind…”

Despite his healing capacities, the immortal knew that this was going to hurt. While wanting to delay the inevitable amateur surgery would be more than enough reason to stall, there was still a question that he needed answered.

“Everything you did… breaking into my home, turning my security systems against me… that’s no small feat. You had help,” Darwin stated, drawing out the bizarre interrogation for as long as he could, until he finally couldn’t help himself. “How did you… Where the hell is Cy–”

Suddenly, an alarm began blaring throughout the room. Both men flinched, though the brown-haired boy more so when the scalpel was almost dropped directly onto his eye.

“Huh, well that doesn’t sound good,” the immortal uttered, a smirk now adorning his visage. “You know, it was thousands of years before I ever had someone break out of one of my cells. How long’s it been for you? A couple of week–”

Darwin didn’t get to finish his barb before Warden drove the blade into the immortal’s eye with every ounce of force in his body. The stab was so quick; it pierced the brown-haired boy’s brain before he had a chance to feel any pain.

With his subject now “dead,” the madman allowed himself a moment to calm down. Even he was surprised by how much the immortal’s words had gotten to him; his breathing was ragged with rage.

“ _There’s a situation,_ ” Poly’s telepathic words appeared in Warden’s mind without warning, causing him to flinch in pain. “ _But I’m certain you’re well aware of that._ ”

“ _Hard not to be with all that noise,_ ” the psychopath mentally replied as he removed his gloves. “ _We’ve got a breach?_ ”

“ _Three, technically. Though one of them has already been resolved,_ ” Elli added, having been linked into their mutual psychic conversation. “ _But one of them… it’s one of those girls; the one with the coral hair._ ”

“ _…What would you have us do?_ ” The rainbow monster asked, its thought’s betraying no hint of emotion.

Warden knew himself better than anyone. Darwin was right, he’s controlling. Obsessive, some might say. He wanted this girl for his collection, but he couldn’t risk losing everything because of her actions. He was so close to finally becoming… more.

After a moment of silent thought, he gave the order.

“ _…She’s the least interesting out of the four we have. End her… whatever it takes._ ”

Somewhere else in this nightmarish labyrinth, Prophet silently chuckled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, it seems I may have been a little off with my estimate about how long it would take to get both of the last chapters done. Finals hit me pretty hard, so this entry was fairly delayed. The last chapter shouldn't, hopefully, take longer than mid-January.
> 
> This was a challenging chapter to write. I wanted to keep the focus on the quartet and their emotional journies, while still delving deeper into Darwin's past and moving the plot forward. I hope I managed to strike that balance here.
> 
> We're nearing the end! This is pretty exciting for me, to be honest; I've never actually finished a writing project of this scale before.
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read another lengthy entry, and I look forward to hearing any thoughts once the finale rolls around!


	15. I'll Set You Free

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: The following chapter deals with self-harm in a far more direct way than most of my writing has in the past. If you're worried about being exposed to such material, I'd suggest skipping over the section about Yuri, Sayori, and Poly. The statements made by the characters aren't intended to reflect the opinion of the author.

Monika’s brief moment of unconsciousness was rudely interrupted by the incessant alarm blaring throughout the concrete dungeon. The shrill noise practically forced the younger woman’s body to stir from its rest, all while amplifying her already splitting headache.

Lacking the strength to stand, the emerald-eyed girl was barely able to keep herself on all fours without her arms buckling. With a strained push, Monika managed to finally get upright, even if it meant sitting on her legs. The former club president was dizzier now, but she didn’t fall over, so she considered that progress.

A metallic aftertaste still lingered on her tongue, and she could feel the abrasive touch of dried blood on her cheeks. All the while, that annoying alarm continued to shriek.

Which, now that Monika’s faculties had somewhat returned to her, begged the question: What caused the alarm to go off in the first place?

The emerald-eyed girl stared at the entity in the cell across from her own. Prophet – the aptly named, ghost-like creature – was still staring blankly at the wall before her, despite all noise and commotion. Monika was almost tempted to ask if she knew what was going on but, given that her last attempt at questioning the apparition resulted in her current state, decided against it.

Soon, a small group of security robots could be heard stomping towards the former club president’s cell, clearly in response to whatever emergency was currently plaguing their little jail. The moment they passed by, Monika noticed that Prophet’s gaze had shifted towards their direction, as if these were the first things she saw today that was worth her attention.

“Hmph… looks like it’s time for this one to go,” the phantom cryptically stated. The brown-haired girl was unsure if the creature was speaking to her or itself, but at least Prophet seemed to know what was happening. “It’s humorous… our captor custom built this room – lining it will a special metal – believing it would keep me here.”

Suddenly, the monster’s body began to sink straight into the ground. The floor didn’t change in any way to allow this to happen, she simply fell straight through it.

“He was wrong,” Prophet muttered just before the last of her head vanished, leaving the cell empty.

Intangibility. _Makes sense,_ Monika thought, _considering her spiritual nature._

Left on her own, the emerald-eyed girl let out a simple sigh as she rubbed her temples. The unending blaring of the siren wouldn’t stop, and now the only entity that might’ve at least sated her curiosity was gone.

Her annoyed sentiment – which she said aloud more for her own sanity than anything else – went unheard by the other nearby monsters due to the cacophony of their own screams and the shrill, unending alarm.

“…I shouldn’t have woken up.” 

* * *

“…Why can’t I wake up?” This was the question on Darwin’s mind as he relived this memory for what must’ve been the third time. Or was it the fourth?

The wetsuit clung to his skin like it was an old friend afraid of letting go. The pneumatic doors of the airlock opened with a hiss, and he flinched at the sudden noise.

The immortal hobbled his way towards the main chamber of his submersible, leaning on one of the white walls for support as he went. His right arm hung uselessly by his side as small drops of blood fell freely from where his hand should’ve been. He was in such shock that he couldn’t even feel the pain anymore, and it’s not like it wouldn’t grow back.

After a particularly difficult climb, Darwin stepped away from the metal ladder and practically fell into a nearby doorframe. Upon entering the next room, the brown-eyed boy barely managed to grasp onto the captain’s chair before his stumbling caused him to collapse into the ground. His entrance caught the attention of a certain demonic ally, her usual crimson business suit draped over the wetsuit she was sporting.

“Darwin, thank Lucifer! What happened out th- Where’s your hand?!” Ace cried out upon noticing the immortal’s new stump.

The brown-eyed boy didn’t say anything, instead slowly working his way around the chair he was leaning on. The succubus moved forward to try and help but, by the time she’d reached Darwin, he was already seated.

The term “captain’s chair” carries a certain importance that the immortal no longer felt he deserved. Considering what he saw out there… considering what he just lost… considering that he ran…

“D-Darwin… where are the others?” The demon asked, the hint of despair in her voice betraying that she already knew the answer.

“C-Cynthia… take us home,” the brown-eyed boy spoke without really thinking, as the submarine roared to life. He’d issued this command so many times, it flew from his tongue almost automatically. Darwin’s fractured brain was still processing everything that’d just occurred, and he couldn’t help slipping into autopilot.

The immortal grabbed his head, as a sudden stabbing pain threatened to tear his mind asunder. He blinked and four girls now stood before him, their eyes and hair blindingly colorful compared to the sterile white walls. They were flickering in and out, occasionally replacing or replaced by Ace; it was akin to watching a movie and its remake playing on the same screen from two different projectors.

This was the moment, Darwin told himself once more, where he should’ve noticed something was wrong. In his trauma, his memories overlapped… and her presence went unnoticed. He called to her, and she silently answered. She was sloppy, making herself known to the quartet in the first place. Was she counting on his broken mind to hide her subterfuge?

Yet none of that mattered right now. His friends were in danger, all because he’d failed to notice one crucial detail just a few days ago.

The immortal cursed his own name. Why didn’t he see it?

Why didn’t he realize that Cynthia was still alive?

Darwin closed his eyes again, and the headache ceased. When he opened them again, he was standing in the airlock as the last of the water was drained away. He removed his diving mask, as blood flowed much faster from his missing hand. The brown-eyed boy breathed heavily, adrenaline pumping rapidly through his veins.

“…Why can’t I wake up?” This was the question on Darwin’s mind as he relived this memory for what must’ve been the fourth time. Or was it the fifth?

* * *

Sayori’s lungs threatened to give out as she continued to sprint down the concrete hallway. Her legs felt like they were on fire, each one begging her to rest for just a moment. Yet, as she heard the stomping of metal footsteps behind her, the coral-haired girl knew she couldn’t stop now.

As she ducked past another monstrous hand that reached out from one of the many jail cells, her eyes scanned for anything helpful. A map on the wall, a blunt object, or even just a way out of this seemingly endless hallway.

Eventually, Sayori’s watchful eyes were rewarded with the sight of a pneumatic door; an overhead label reading: “Control Room.” The club president sighed with relief, having found exactly what she was looking for. As grateful as she was for this find, she was even happier upon hearing the familiar sound of a friend’s voice.

“Sayori?!” Yuri called out from a cell directly behind the club president, causing the latter to swiftly turn around. “How did you get out?!”

“Yuri! Boy am I glad to see you!” The coral-haired girl couldn’t help but grin upon finding the purple-eyed girl, though the distant march of metal footsteps brought her back to more immediate concerns. “I’ll explain everything later! I need to get into that control room!”

“W-well, there’s that card reader on the side, but I don’t–” The gothic woman didn’t get a chance to finish her sentence before Sayori ran over to the control panel; though the latter quickly realized what the problem was.

“Crap! I don’t have a keycard! H-how am I supposed to–” This time it was the coral-haired girl’s turn to be interrupted, as a combat knife suddenly plopped down next to her feet.

Sayori turned around, finding Yuri’s left arm sticking out between the bars of her cells. Her purple-eyed friend flashed an almost uncharacteristically confident smile, while her other hand formed a thumbs-up.

“Heh, okay, now I’m glad you grabbed that knife!” Sayori said as she swiftly unsheathed the blade and began unscrewing the four fasteners keeping the card reader case attached to the wall.

The sounds of the approaching automatons grew ever closer as time went on, causing sweat to bead down the club president’s forehead. Metal fists hitting inhuman flesh or automatic gunfire could occasionally be heard in the distance, likely a result of the imprisoned monsters trying to grab onto the passing guards. The other nightmares were buying the blue-eyed girl precious time, even if they didn’t know it.

Sayori moved at a frantic pace, so much so that Yuri was slightly afraid she’d injure herself or break the knife in her hurry. Fortunately, the impromptu tool proved reliable as the last screw fell from its socket.

As the coral-haired girl removed the casing, the gothic woman noticed Scorpius scowling from the back of his cell. The arachnoid creature hadn’t said anything upon Sayori’s arrival, and the look of pure anger he now gave Yuri was more worried her.

With the control panel removed, the president of the Literature Club was left with a massive tangle of wires jutting out of the square hole. The hope in Sayori heart began to waver once again as she stared at the multitude of cables, unsure which one she needed to cut. Would she still be able to get the door open if she sliced the wrong one by mistake?

The sweat on Sayori’s forehead intensified as she moved the knife close to a green wire. That had to be the right one. At least, that’s what she muttered to herself as the steel weapon touched the rubber casing. The blue-eyed girl took a deep breath, before pulling the knife–

“Not that one,” Prophet said, her intangible head suddenly poking out of the floor. Sayori let out a yelp, dropping the knife in her surprise. The weapon fell through the apparition’s head, before rebounding slightly to her right. “That wire will cause a delayed opening. You’ll get it on the second try, but by the time it opens a robot guard will have shot you in the right shoulder. You’ll live, but your arm will never regain its full range of motion.”

“…W-why are you helping us?” The coral-haired girl asked as she hesitantly retrieved her cutting instrument off of the floor, as if she were afraid Prophet might try to bite her.

“…This one has seen your future. This one doesn’t fight the inevitable,” the phantom explained. “But this one isn’t opposed to… speeding it along. The blue one, and hurry. There isn’t much time left.”

Although reluctant to trust this creature, Sayori didn’t know what else she could do. The club president pulled the knife against the blue wire, severing it in one swift motion.

With a mechanical hiss, the door slid open and the coral-haired girl nearly squealed in excitement. The club president looked down, intending to thank the spirit for her help, but Prophet had already vanished.

Sayori didn’t have a moment to process this, as her eyes then spotted a pair of security robots heading straight towards her. Their movements were slow, methodical; their binary brains knew they’d catch her eventually and didn’t see the need to rush.

The coral-haired girl ducked into the newly opened control room and began scanning for her target. Closer to the back of the room, Sayori found a console covered to the brim with buttons and switches. Above it sat a series of screens that – though difficult to tell, due to their similar appearances – were each tuned into a different video feed of the many concrete hallways. The club president hadn’t noticed any cameras during her sprint, though she figured she missed them in her panic.

In the center of the console was a large red button, as well as a switch with yellow and black lines running across the handle. Each one was covered in a transparent plastic casing, likely to prevent unauthorized use.

So, it was fortunate for Sayori that both of them were unlocked. The blue-eyed girl sighed with relief; grateful that the original keepers of this prison must’ve forgotten to secure these after their departure, and that its current owner hadn’t noticed them.

Of course, since they were unlabeled, there was still one concerning question lingering in her mind: Which one did what?

“…If cartoons have taught me anything, it’s that this one probably activates a self-destruct sequence… Then it must be…” Sayori eventually concluded as her right hand slowly moved away from the button and towards the striped switch. Though the club president wasn’t fully convinced this was a good idea, the distant stomp of mechanical feet finally convinced her to pull the lever downward.

An identical clicking noise would’ve been heard throughout the entire prison if not for the still-wailing alarm. The scraping of metal against concrete, however, was impossible to miss. The blue-eyed girl looked up at the various screens and saw monsters rushing out of their cells like water spilling forth from a broken dam. Any nearby guards were immediately swarmed by the horde of inhuman creatures; though the beasts were weak and malnourished, their varied abilities and sheer numbers proved advantageous in each skirmish.

Sayori rushed out of the room and immediately spied Yuri exiting her cell. The two friends ran into each other’s arms, their warm embrace providing comfort despite the chaos raging around them.

“Brilliant thinking, Sayori!” The gothic woman exclaimed, both from excitement and to be heard over the alarm. “We mustn’t delay though! We need to find Natsuki and Monika before something else–”

Yuri didn’t have a chance to finish her thought before a chitinous pincer grabbed hold of her waist. Scorpius, now freed from his restraints, lifted the purple-eyed girl into the air like she was nothing. The arachnoid was skulking so low to the ground the first time they encountered him, so neither of the two young ladies realized how truly massive he was up close.

“You. Ruined. Everything!” Scorpius bellowed as he tore the leather muzzle from his face. With his remaining pincer now free, the creature snatched Sayori into the air before she had a chance to back away. “Oh, I’m going to make you experience agony unlike anything you’ve ever experienced!”

“W-why?! I let you out!” The coral-haired girl exclaimed, all while struggling within the monster’s grip. He wasn’t squeezing hard enough to hurt her, but the chitinous shell pressing into her abdomen was far comfortable.

“Trust me Sayori, the explanation barely makes sense,” Yuri replied, seemingly unafraid of upsetting the monster holding her with the same care one takes with a disposable cup in their hand.

“Heh, if you’d rather not hear my words, perhaps my actions shall suffice,” Scorpius said as his grip began to tighten.

The increase in discomfort was so sudden, Sayori had to stop herself from crying out in pain. The pressure on her waist and spine wasn’t overwhelming, but it was increasing. Scorpius clearly wanted to draw this out, make it last.

“Where are your barbs and witticisms now, you insolent children?!” The arachnoid’s pincers pressed together even harder as he taunted the two girls; his self-control waning as his anger increased. As her internal organs were unnaturally pressed, Sayori was terrified she was seconds away from being torn in half. “You must think you’re so special. That you matter. Let this pain serve as a reminder that you are just insignificant specks in an uncaring universe–”

Scorpius’ mocking was suddenly interrupted by a pair of robot guards grabbing him from behind. Surprised, the monster accidentally released the two members of the Literature Club; their painful fall onto the concrete floor was a relief compared to what they were enduring but a moment ago.

“…L-let’s go!” Sayori eventually said, having recovered enough from the assault to move, while Scorpius fruitlessly thrashed in his robotic captors’ arms.

“These hollow men may have stopped me, but don’t mistake this as a sign that you’re safe here!” Scorpius called out as the duo dashed in the opposite direction. “I’m not the worst monster in this tomb! You will die here! You will!”

As the arachnoid’s voice faded into the distance, his grim tones replaced by the shrieking alarm, Sayori and Yuri ran like there was something sinister following right behind them. The other newly-freed creatures were too busy dealing with the metal jailers – or, on occasion, fighting each other – to stop what they were doing and chase after the two small girls sprinting past.

Yet, with each abomination they passed, the duo could feel more and more stares of inhuman eyes boring into their skulls. Each glare was hungry, but that wasn’t the dominant feeling. It was as if each beast was looking for any weakness, any reason at all, to strike.

All this told Sayori was that they needed to find their friends, and fast.

* * *

When the cell doors swung open, Monika didn’t move. When the sounds of beasts and machines coming to blows echoed throughout the concrete hallway, Monika didn’t move. Even when her head no longer felt like it had been split open with a rusty axe, Monika still couldn’t find the strength to stand.

Which is why it’s almost surprising that, even with the appearance of a familiar face, the former president of the Literature Club actually stirred.

“Jesus, you look like shit!” Natsuki exclaimed as she took Monika’s right arm in her hands. “What the hell happened?!”

With a grunt, the pink-haired girl hefted her emerald-eyed friend onto her feet. Though Monika’s whole body felt drained, she managed to stay standing. The taller girl had to lean on her shorter friend for support, though their height difference made this somewhat awkward.

“…Outside of involving a clairvoyant ghost, I’m honestly not certain,” Monika mumbled, as the two limped away from her cell. “Are… are my ears still bleeding?”

“Not at the moment,” Natsuki replied. Though her expression clearly indicated her concern for her former-frenemy, the co-vice president knew this wasn’t the time – and especially not the place – to stop and ask questions. “Does… whatever the hell happened to you have anything to do with all the doors opening?”

“Since I was just about to ask you why we’re no longer locked up, I’m guessing not,” the brown-haired girl’s voice was getting a little stronger, but her pink-eyed clubmate still had to listen carefully in order to hear her over the alarm. “Do you know where they might be keeping the others? We need to find them before… Um, Natsuki? I think we might have a problem.”

The shorter of the two girls turned her head towards the same direction her friend was looking, unfortunately spying a pair of mechanical jailers heading their way. The machines were slightly damaged, likely having just finished a conflict with some of the other monsters. Considering they were the victorious party; their presence didn’t bode well for the two girls, considering one half of their duo was barely able to stand.

“It’s alright, they’re pretty slow. I ran past a couple on the way here. We’ve just got to–” Natsuki started to explain as they began limping in the opposite direction. They weren’t able to get very far, however, before another pair of automatons suddenly rounded the corner. “…Shit. Shit! Shit shit shit! W-what do we do?”

The two girls began backing away slowly, knowing full well that avoiding one group only pushed them towards another. Unable to flee, the only option left available for them was to hide in one of the cells. Far from ideal, since the machines were probably just going to lock them up again anyways.

Natsuki almost wanted to cry and, if you were to ask her about this moment, she wouldn’t have been ashamed of that feeling. Once again, a friend was counting on her, and she just couldn’t see any way to protect them. If not for the panic brought about by the encroaching jailers, the pink-haired girl likely would be cursing herself for her self-perceived weakness.

Although she was having difficulty focusing, Monika shared this feeling of helplessness. For most of her brief existence, she’d gotten what she wanted by hurting those now closest to her. Certain that keeping them safe was the only way to truly make amends, the former club president didn’t want to believe this is how it would end. Hell, with knowledge of the future on her side, she knew it shouldn’t end here. Even so, the former president of the Literature Club still couldn’t see a way out.

Yet, while this powerlessness made Natsuki sorrowful, it only made Monika angrier.

“…Stop,” Monika’s whisper went unheard by Natsuki, too distracted by the quartet of machines. A brief and painful lifetime of emotions suddenly bubbled to the surface as the brown-haired girl managed to stand of her own accord. Before the shorter of the pair could ask her friend what she was doing, the taller girl’s voice found its strength as her eyes almost shone with an inhuman glimmer. “I. Said. Stop!”

Natsuki wasn’t sure what happened next. At least, she didn’t see anything happen.

The four machines came to a sudden halt; the dimming of their bright red visors indicating they’d shut down. The duo was safe once more, but the uncertainty of not knowing why quickly caused a wholly different feeling of unease.

Well, Monika was uncertain at least. Although Natsuki definitely didn’t see anything, she felt something she didn’t know how to explain. Electrical would be the best way to describe it, but it wasn’t a shocking sensation. It was like when a balloon that’s built up static cling runs over your skin. The pink-haired girl was certain that wave of energy shut down the mechanical jailers, and that she felt start near Monika.

“…Wow, that was convenient timing!” The young lady said as her eyes returning to normal while a soft, embarrassed blush appeared on her visage. “I think I got a little swept up in the moment there, yelling at them like that. Heh, pretty funny whoever opened the cells must’ve turned off the robots at that exact moment…”

“…What are you talking about?!” The co-vice president suddenly exclaimed, startling her taller friend. “Y-you did that! You clearly did that!”

“W-woah, Natsuki calm down! We still have those other monsters to worry about, and the last thing we should be doing is drawing their attention!” Monika hissed, her tone more frustrated than she likely intended it to be. “Besides, if I can stop robots by yelling at them, don’t you think I’d have done that back in the bunker when those spider-bots attacked us?!”

“B-but you messed with that security camera that one time! And let’s not forget whatever the hell you did to Edward!” Natsuki loudly retorted, having seemingly missed the former club president’s warning. “I’m just saying you clearly have some kinda freaky power over digital stuff! I’m not implying you know how to do it!”

“If I don’t know how to do it, then how could I possibly be doing it?!” The emerald-eyed girl shouted in frustration, her own concerns over being quiet completely forgotten. Though a part of her knew the co-vice president was making sense but, even in a world of monsters, it was still too fantastical an explanation for Monika to accept it.

“I think I hear shouting! That’s surely them!” The familiar voice of Yuri suddenly appeared, just before she rounded the nearby corner. “Oh, thank goodness you’re both unharmed!”

“Heh, isn’t it funny that you two seem to argue more now that you’ve buried the hatchet?” Sayori added as she ran up behind her taller friend, her warm smile returning upon spying the remainder of her club.

“Yuri!” Natsuki called out as she rushed forward and wrapped her girlfriend in a hug so powerful it almost knocked the gothic beauty over. That didn’t stop Yuri from reciprocating it.

“Thank god you’re both alright too!” The former president of the Literature Club said as she sprinted up to and held the current one in a not-as-forceful embrace.

“A-ah, y-yeah… t-thanks,” Sayori attempted to reply, her face having become flush with a crimson shade. Once Monika finally let go, the coral-haired girl cleared her throat and tried again to speak. “Once I opened up the cell doors, Yuri and I were worried something would get to you before we could! Should’ve known you’d guys would be o… Monika, were your ears bleeding?”

Sayori’s question managed to tear Yuri’s attention away from her paramour, causing her to also notice the red streaks running down the sides of the emerald-eyed girl’s head. Given that Monika seemed physically fine, it was more a cause for confusion than alarm.

The former president of the Literature Club remembered the warning Prophet gave her. Not all of them are going to make it out of this place alive.

Since she couldn’t see a way of explaining how she got hurt without being forced to reveal what she’d learned, the question on Monika’s mind then was whether or not she should tell them at all. Would an understanding of the risk save them, or could that be what causes the demise of someone she held dear?

“…Later,” the emerald-eyed girl’s hesitation led to a swift attempt to change the subject, which – based on the looks on their faces – certainly didn’t ease her friends’ worries. “This might be our only chance to get out of this place. We can’t waste any more time, let’s–”

“W-wait, we can’t leave yet!” Sayori objected, catching her taller friend off-guard. “We still need to find Darwin!”

“…No, we’re not doing this again,” Monika recalled something else the phantom told her; the brown-eyed boy was still hiding something from them. No longer fully trusting him and desperate for a loophole, considering he can’t stay dead, the former club president was far more willing to leave the immortal behind. “We got lucky in the bunker last time, and we only had to deal with one monster trying to kill us! Darwin will be fine. We need to get out of here while we still can!”

“…Do you know where the exit is, Monika?” The coral-haired girl calmly asked, her query seriously throwing Monika for a loop. “Didn’t think so… Look, I’m really proud of you for trying to put us before the guy you… used to be obsessed with, but this is different than last time. Edward only attacked Darwin to get him out of the way, but everything here wants to hurt him or do… God knows what else! Besides, he’s a member of this club too. We’re not leaving him here with these people.”

Monika wanted to object again, but she didn’t have anything left to retort with that wasn’t a potentially dangerous secret. Sayori took her silence as an admittance of – though likely begrudging – agreement and shifted as if to address the group. The former club president, however, wasn’t finished.

“…Okay, but we can’t keep doing this. We shouldn’t have to,” the emerald-eyed girl firmly stated, catching the other girls by surprise. “Our lives have been so fucked up and, if we don’t do something different, I don’t see that changing anytime soon.”

“…Crazy as it sounds, I agree with Monika. Once we get Darwin, we all need to have a serious talk about what we’re going to do next,” Natsuki hesitantly added. Yuri, though she seemed reluctant, eventually nodded in agreement. “And, I don’t know about you guys… but I don’t feel comfortable living in the bunker anymore. Not after a bunch of psychopaths already proved they can break in there whenever they want.”

“…Yeah, that’s fair,” Sayori conceded, though she clearly felt somewhat uncomfortable with the whole idea. “Let’s keep our minds focused on getting out of here first though. Before we get going, does anyone else have other concerns they’d like to mention?”

The other three girls remained silent. Even Monika, though she was worried this might be her last chance to share the secret knowledge burdening her mind. That, and she also couldn’t help but feel like they were forgetting about someone.

“Alright, then let’s go save Darwin… again! …Heh, I think we’re at least starting to get pretty good at this,” the blue-eyed girl’s confident smile returned, causing her co-vice presidents to mimic her expression. The emerald-eyed girl, too plagued by worries, didn’t. “Now, we’ve got way too much ground to cover, so we should split up and–”

“Split up? But we just got back together!” Natsuki suddenly objected. Her concern was authentic, though it didn’t stop her from adding a bit of snark. “Besides, that never works for white people in horror movies! So why would it work for us?!”

“I mean, I know it’s risky… but, considering how tight these hallways are, we’re going to have a much harder time avoiding anything dangerous in such a big group!” Sayori’s reasoning was sound and, though her doubts were still present, Monika was impressed with how the president of the Literature Club was behaving. She was really acting like a leader. “We can do this. We’ve survived so much this far! Yes, we’ve been lucky a few times, but it’s more than that. Every horrible thing in this place is nothing compared to what we’ve faced already. I just… I don’t know what it is, but I’m certain we’ll be okay.”

Though the other two members were inspired by the coral-haired girl’s speech, her final statement reminded Monika that she was lacking crucial information. Although her trepidation still remained, the former president then realized that – should she keep this secret to herself – she’d be treating her friends just like Darwin does.

With this in mind, the emerald-eyed girl considered just how wrong it’d be not to tell them the truth. Monika probably would have too, if the smell of ozone and crackling of electricity hadn’t caught everyone’s attention first.

The quartet turned their heads just in time to spy Elli rounding the corner, blue light arcing between her fingers. It was bizarre, seeing someone who simultaneously looked so shy yet also so infuriated. Behind her marched a small platoon of mechanical jailers, their metal footsteps previously hidden by the wailing alarm.

“Uh… so Sayori didn’t actually turn off all the robots after she opened the doors?” Monika asked as the four girls slowly backed away, the white-haired villain matching their pace.

“…Oh, that would’ve been really smart!” Sayori exclaimed, dumbfound surprise replacing her previous expression of terror and concern. The other three girls sighed, somehow unsurprised to see their coral-haired friend switch seamlessly from inspiring leader back to absent-minded genki girl.

“…I’m only willing to give you one warning,” Elli said, her voice low yet still managing to cut through all the other noise. “Find a cell and wait there. I cannot guarantee your safety otherwise.”

The quartet looked at each other as a silent agreement passing between them. They each turned to a nearby cell and moved towards the entrance. Elli allowed herself a small smile, glad to see these four were at least capable of being reasonable.

So, you can imagine her disappointment when the quartet suddenly turned on their heels and sprinted in the opposite direction of the white-haired girl. Elli sighed, before raising her arm and letting loose a bolt of lightning.

It crashed into a concrete wall, scorching it, as the four members of the Literature Club came near a branching path. They each flinched as the bolt struck just above their heads. They knew the villain hadn’t missed; it was warning shot.

With no time to react, the quartet acted upon Sayori’s plan. The current club president and Yuri dashed down the hallway on the left, while the former one and Natsuki raced into the other. Elli calmly strolled up to where the group was once standing and sighed to herself for the second time tonight.

“ _…Two of them are heading your way,_ ” Elli thought within her own mind, her mental voice just soft as her vocal one. “ _Remember, we’re trying not to kill them. Don’t do anything too… rash._ ”

“ _Worry not my friend, I won’t damage them… too severely,_ ” Poly replied, its words causing the white-haired girl’s head to ache. “ _Though I was under the impression we only needed the ponytailed one…_ ”

“ _…Just do your job,_ ” the electrokinetic resisted the urge to call her ally a freak in her head, knowing he’d hear it. A third, almost silent sigh passed her lips as she signaled for the robots to chase after Sayori and Yuri, before the white-haired girl then turned down the right hallway.

What Elli didn’t know was, as she began the hunt for her own prey, that Monika and Natsuki weren’t the only ones being followed. 

* * *

Although it may have seemed to the layman like Sayori’s plan was full of potential risks, her instincts proved correct. Yuri and her shorter compatriot were able to easily duck and dodge past any new creatures they encountered, and said monstrosities tended to be more interested in the mechanical soldiers trailing behind them. With their pursuers delayed, all these two girls had to do was keep running forward and hope they didn’t run into anything unexpected.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before Sayori and her taller friend were forced to come to a sudden halt, hearing the approaching sound of metal footsteps ahead of them. Although this new squad wasn’t visible yet, it did cut off their only way forward.

Thinking on her feet, the club president quickly ducked into a nearby room. It wasn’t a cell; this massive space was pristinely white, almost offensively so when compared to the grime found throughout the rest of the prison. Near the high ceiling were several panes of glass, behind which were observation rooms of some sort.

Sayori placed her right index finger over her lips as the pair pressed themselves against the walls adjacent to the doorway. Since their earlier pursuers had lost sight of them, Yuri quickly comprehended what the new plan was. The gothic beauty nodded in agreement, doing her best to suppress the labored breathing born from running for so long.

The mechanical footsteps grew louder, and the coral-haired girl’s heartbeat rose a little bit more with each passing moment. Sweat – both from the earlier sprint and currently approaching threat – left both their visages drenched.

Eventually, just as both groups of footsteps had reached their crescendo, they stopped. Sayori deduced the robot squads had encountered each other, but she didn’t dare peer past the doorway. Better to wait a little longer than risk being seen.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the footsteps resumed. It wasn’t long before they began to disappear, now moving as a singular group. Only problem, they were moving in the direction Sayori and Yuri had been trying to go.

“Okay, we’ll let them get a little farther ahead before we keep going. We’ll have to be way quieter though, so they don’t turn around,” the blue-eyed girl whispered, her companion once again nodding her head in agreement. The duo waited for about half a minute before Sayori finally removed herself from the wall. “That’s probably enough of a head start. Let’s g–”

Just as she was about to exit, the mechanical door suddenly slammed shut. Sayori stumbled back in surprise, though Yuri managed to catch her before she collapsed.

“There we are. A little privacy sounds nice, wouldn’t you agree?” The purple-haired girl’s grip, however, did fail once the splitting headache began. Yuri swiftly searched for the source of the familiar voice in her mind, while Sayori got back on her feet just as quickly.

In the center of the room stood Poly, sporting his typical menacing grin. The club president was certain she hadn’t seen this monster when they entered the room, and there didn’t seem to be a way inside this space except for the now-closed door. So how did he get in?

Sayori felt a cold sweat as she suddenly remembered that Omi – another, more benevolent telepath – once masked their presence from a pair of APART agents. The shadow monster was standing there the entire time. He could’ve done anything to them at any moment, and they never would’ve seen it coming.

That idea was scary enough, but it wasn’t the worst part. Poly chose to make itself known; whatever this beast was about to do next, it wanted them to see it coming.

“W-whatever you’re planning… you don’t have to do it,” the coral-haired girl said with a nervous smile as she and Yuri pressed their backs against the wall once more. “Darwin’s beaten; you’ve already gotten what you wanted. You don’t have to d-do what Warden says anymore. W-we just want to leave…”

“ _My child… has no one told you that lying to a telepath is a fruitless endeavor?_ ” Poly said, its words echoing as it spoke with both its voice and its mind. “ _I would let you go, but I know you’re trying to save Darwin as well. I cannot allow that. He may believe he’s done with his old life as an_ imprisoner _, but I know him. In time, he’ll only return to his old habits. He’s… cyclical, I suppose you might say._ ”

The rainbow fluid began to spill even faster from the monster’s body; its skin making a sickening tearing noise as multicolored tendrils burst forth from each wound. Poly remained perfectly still as this happened, though Sayori did notice that the corners of its mouth seemed to be curled differently; as if it was actually in pain.

“ _You’re both strong, maybe more so than you realize. Even if we lock you away once more, you’ll only escape again. And you’ll keep trying to save him every time… A part of me knows there’s a way to keep you here without destroying your minds,_ ” the shadow monster continued as its tentacles rose into the air, ready to strike. “ _But the boy’s parents broke me long ago, and sometimes I just can’t help myself!_ ”

The just before the inhuman limbs flew forwards, the coral-haired girl noticed that the creature was still grinning. Yet it wasn’t a pained, sadistic, or malicious expression this time. It was an accepting smile; the monster knew it was damaged, and it was at peace with that.

Sayori dove to the right, and Yuri to the left; both girls barely dodging in time before the tendrils hit the nearby walls. This wasn’t like when Edward was hunting them; his limbs were more precise in their movements, more driven. Poly’s hovered almost mockingly over each of them, even as they lay helpless on the floor. It was taking its time, playing with them.

When she fell, the gothic girl’s knife fell from the club president’s pocket. Spying the weapon, the club president swiftly scooped it up, rose to her feet, and unsheathed it. She tried to look brave, yet the coral-haired girl’s arms were trembling. Poly, unfazed, began walking towards Sayori.

“ _Oh my, there’s a little bit of bite in you after all… But do you have what it takes to stop me?_ ” The creature began by speaking directly into her mind, though he switched to using his voice as he approached the coral-haired girl. “Do you understand? All I have to do is touch your skull, and I can rip your psyche apart. You’ll be enfeebled, unable to move or think ever again. You might as well be dead…”

The shadow monster continued to move closer to Sayori, causing her to back away at an equal pace. Fear was starting to creep into the blue-eyed girl’s visage, breaking down the courageous façade she tried to convey.

“Yet your mental health is already in a precarious place. Do you have the willpower to endure further… damage?” Once Sayori’s back hit a wall, Poly slammed one of his tendrils above her head, causing her to let out a surprised yelp. The club president’s body was shaking even harder now, though she kept the knife pointed forward. Tears were starting to pool around her eyes. The shadow monster got close enough to its victim that the blade was almost pressing into its chest. “Then do it! Save your friends! Be their protector! Stop me! Hurt me! Kill me! Do it!”

The knife fell from Sayori’s hands and clattered against the concrete floor. Tears flowed freely down her visage, her face twisted in fear. The petrified young woman sank to the ground, beaten. Now Poly’s crooked smile was showing hints of malice, as it quietly chuckled.

The coral-haired girl silently cursed herself. When her friends needed truly her to be strong, she failed them. She couldn’t do it, she couldn’t take someone else’s life. She didn’t have it in her. Some people just don’t.

Now everyone she cares about is going be locked away again, or worse, because even her own self-preservation instincts weren’t enough to push her across some line. A real leader could’ve done it, she told herself as she sobbed. A real leader would’ve done it.

Yuri looked on, having quietly watched the whole exchange with a mix of concern, fascination, and anticipation on her face. When she then saw her friend reduced to tears, the taller girl found the strength to get back on her feet.

They couldn’t beat this thing, that much was apparent. It was too strong, too determined to hurt them. This wasn’t like Speed Demon; this beast wouldn’t be talked down with kind words, and Sayori wasn’t willing to kill it. Truth is, despite everything at stake, neither was Yuri.

 _So_ – the purple-eyed girl reasoned to herself – _if there was no smart decision to make here, maybe it was time to try something foolish._

“…You’re right,” Yuri muttered as she walked towards Poly, grabbing one of his nearby tentacles with her left hand. The creature watched with curiosity; its inhuman limb not fighting against her grip. “Sayori’s endured a very difficult life. We all have. And our mental health suffered greatly as a result… So, let’s see how you handle it.”

Suddenly, Yuri pressed the tendril against her forehead, surprising both Sayori and Poly. The gothic woman winced as her mind was bonded with the shadow creature, whose smile actually seemed to diminish somewhat (if only due to confusion).

“…Well, I suppose I respect your… directness. Though if both of you give up so easily, I worry it will take all of the fun out of… wait, what is this?” Then, for the second time today, Poly’s smile was gone. It stumbled away from the coral-haired girl, hyperventilating, frowning with gritted teeth. “W-what are you doing to me?! Let go!”

Now the multicolored limb was desperately trying to free itself from Yuri’s grasp but, despite its slippery texture, she had a death grip on it. The shadow creature fell onto its knees, seemingly debilitated by whatever was happening. As it clasped its skull in its hands, multiple incisions began to spontaneously appear along its left arm; rainbow blood flowing freely from each one as it wailed in agony.

Yuri opened her eyes again, and Sayori saw something she’d never before seen in person. When she became the new club president after Monika’s demise in the game, she became aware of everything, including her gothic friend’s behavior during Act 2. Seeing the contracted pupils and slasher smile, the coral-haired girl watched almost in awe as Yuri wielded her instability like a weapon.

“I b-bet you’re n-not used to your v-victims letting you into their minds so willingly. I’m s-sure you’re also not used to a p-psyche quite like m-mine,” the purple-eyed girl was struggling from the effort of mentally dominating a telepathic creature; each moment her mind was threatening to break. Yet, she endured. “I’ve s-spent my entire life d-dealing with thoughts like these. Learning to k-keep them hidden. Holding myself back from that edge. B-but I’m b-betting you haven’t!”

Now Yuri was standing over the whimpering creature the same way it once stood over Sayori, the crazy-eyed girl occasionally emitting a breathy chuckle. The club president managed to get back on her feet, though she was still too scared to move. Whether of Poly or her friend’s sudden behavior change, or both, was uncertain.

“Can you feel it?” The gothic woman asked with a whisper, as she bent down closer to the shadow entity. “Can you feel the pain I endured every time I ran that blade across my flesh? I’ll bet it isn’t as… euphoric for you, as it was for me.”

Suddenly, Poly lunged towards the gloating girl, knocking her to the ground. It wasn’t a calculated action; it had all the savagery of a feral dog’s attack.

The shadow creature swiftly pinned her against the ground; though Yuri managed to keep the tendril pressed against her forehead, it only left her one arm to hold the monster at bay. As it raised its left hand into the air, as Sayori noticed for the first time that each finger ended with a jagged point, it was like all time slowed down. She could see it in its movements; the absolute lack of hesitation.

Poly's going to kill her.

Acting almost instinctively, Sayori rushed forward and scooped a tentacle that was laying on the ground. Before Poly had time to react, the club president wince and pressed the inhuman limb against her temple, all the while trying to recall every single self-defeating thought that ever once ran through her mind.

“…What is… oh gods, what is this sorrow?” The shadow creature asked in a hushed tone. It tried to climb off the gothic woman, only to stumble over its own legs and collapsed onto the floor. “I can’t… I can’t… Make it stop. Make it stop!”

The area where Poly’s eyes should’ve been turned a muted brownish-orange, as if multicolored tears where trapped beneath its skin. The creature curled into a fetal position, too exhausted and miserable to move.

“…This is what really bad depression feels like,” Sayori muttered, somehow surprisingly guilty as she watched someone else suffer because of her mental illness. This shame further amplified her negative thoughts, which only made Poly’s experience all the worse.

“Please… just make it stop… I’ll do anything to make it stop,” the entity begged, as a multicolored bruise began to appear around its neck. “H-how… how do you live like this?”

“…You just… get used to it, I guess,” the coral-haired girl explained, tears welling up in her eyes, as the tendril fell from her hands and onto the floor. Yuri, having calmed down upon witnessing her friend’s sorrowful expression, released the inhuman limb in her own grasp and walked over to Sayori’s side. “…I don’t feel good about what we just did.”

“Neither do I, but we had no choice,” the gothic woman stated as she enveloped her leader in a hug, as much for her own sake as it was for Sayori’s. The shorter girl returned the embrace, doing her best to hold back any further tears. “…Do you… Do you think we could not inform Natsuki of everything that transpired here? She… she’s the only one who hasn’t seen that… side of myself.”

“…Honestly Yuri, it’s probably best we don’t tell anyone what just happened,” Sayori said as the two broke away from each other. While the pair quietly contemplated the secrets they were planning to keep from people they cared for, an awkward silence passed between them. “A-anyways, we need to find a way out of here. I don’t see a control switch on Poly or anything, so maybe there’s a way to open the door on this s–”

Before Sayori had a chance to finish her statement, the two girls were startled by a sudden banging noise coming from the opposite side of the pneumatic door. A second and third sound followed, each punctuated by molten claws breaking through the steel frame. With an audible grunt, the gate was ripped out of the doorway by a familiar creature.

“…That works too,” the coral-haired girl, her sorrow overridden by surprise, as Speed Demon let the metal door fall to the ground. “I… wouldn’t have guessed he was so strong.”

“Sayori! And, um… purple girl! I thought I heard you guys’ voices in here!” Speed Demon called as it limped towards them. Sayori let out a soft gasp and ran to the entity, having spotted an orange gash running across his torso, though she stopped upon remembering he couldn’t be safely touched. “Ah, don’t worry about it kid. It’ll heal. I’m just glad you guys weren’t hurt; I know it’s been a hot second since I was one, but I’m pretty certain humans take much longer to recover from in… Hey, purple girl, what are you looking at?”

“…O-oh! I w-was just… I didn’t realize you and Sayori were friends now,” Yuri quickly spat out, once the gothic girl realized she’d been staring at the speedster with a confused expression. “Last time we saw you, we didn’t exactly part on… the best terms.”

“Heh, well, let’s just say it’s a fairly recent change. By the way, what were you two doing in h– Holy shit is that Poly?!” The molten monster asked as he spied the still whimpering entity laying on the floor. “Y-you guys did that? …Damn kid; I knew you were cool, but I never knew you were a badass!”

Sayori’s cheeks blushed softly and she smiled slightly, though her eyes turned towards the ground. It was the kind of response that said: “I appreciate the compliment, but I don’t agree with your praise.” Yuri noticed this reaction and, while Speed Demon might have dismissed it as embarrassment, the purple-eyed girl knew what her leader was truly feeling right then.

Just as the two girls’ panicked heartbeats were finally starting to normalize, the trio was suddenly startled by several groans and growls coming from the outside hallway. Peering past her volcanic friend, the coral-haired girl spotted a swarm of other monsters slowly pouring into the room; like a slow stream squeezing through a crack in a pipe. Some of them were scaling the nearby walls, allowing for even more horrors to occupy the ever-shrinking space.

Though the lighting was better, it reminded Sayori of stumbling upon the imprisoned beast during the bunker breakout. She was probably just as scared now as she was then, which was appropriate. They barely managed to stop Poly, what hope did they have of surviving this horde?

As the club president broke out in a cold sweat, Speed Demon stood before the sea of contorted and inhuman forms, many of them looking at the two girls with hunger in their eyes. He was trying to pose as if he wasn’t injured, refusing to show any weakness, though it was barely convincing.

“Alright guys, let’s just settle down. You don’t want to fuck with these two,” the brash entity stated, causing the swarm to halt their advance. “I know they might not look like much, but I’m sure Poly back there thought the same thing.”

Hundreds of eyes turned to the fetal creature who helped imprison many of them, and then Sayori felt them turn their gazes onto her and Yuri. Whether out of respect for their victory, or fear of the two who managed to defeat such a powerful beast, the horde turned around and began leaving the room.

“Smart choice guys. We shouldn’t be turning on each other right now anyways,” Speed Demon replied as he began limping towards the exit with the rest of his kind, the two members of the Literature Club cautiously following behind him. Though his following statement was likely intended to enforce solidarity, it also caused a frown to appear on the ashamed Sayori’s visage. “After all, they’re monsters, just like us.” 

* * *

Monika has faced danger many times in her life, far more than anyone like her should in their lifetime. At that exact moment, however, the fear she felt was different than anything she’d ever experienced before.

When you’re being chased and shot at, by someone who you know is right behind you, it evokes a very district type of terror. You need to keep moving forward, your survival depends upon it. Yet, at any moment, your pursuer could strike you down with little to no warning.

Although Monika didn’t have the experience necessary to accurately compare the two, apparently that anxiety occurs whether your attacker is shooting bullets or bolts of lightning.

After dashing through concrete hallways for what felt like an eternity, Natsuki and her taller friend finally managed to find a new locale. Well, new as in different, but not unfamiliar. The rusted red room they first woke up in was hopefully an indicator of their progress, given this was the last place they saw Darwin.

Off to her right, the former president of the Literature Club saw the entrance to another hallway. Though it was certainly their best bet, they couldn’t just keep running. At least, as another electric blast sailed past them, they couldn’t both keep running.

The two girls sought shelter just outside the doorframe of the hallway they’d left. Risking a glance, Monika could see Elli wasn’t exactly sprinting after them. She was walking slowly, calmly even, as blue light snaked around her like some sort of protective serpent.

The two girls had time, but not a lot. Less than a minute, at best. Someone would need to delay Elli while the other rescued their immortal friend and, if Prophet’s prediction is accurate, there was only one person whose life the emerald-eyed girl was willing to risk.

“…Natsuki, go on without me!” Monika said; surprising her shorter friend, whose pink-eyed gaze turned away from the approaching danger. “I’ll try to delay her; buy you some time!”

“W-wait, what?! I’m not leaving you here with that psychopath!” Natsuki exclaimed.

“We don’t have time to argue!” The brown-haired girl fired back, her voice confident and certain. “Even if we find Darwin, it won’t do us any good if she corners us both!”

“In case you didn’t freaking notice, that girl can shoot actual fucking lightning! How are you planning to survive–” the pink-haired girl’s iconic snark came to a halt when a realization dawned on her mind. “…Wait, earlier you said your ears were bleeding because of a ‘clairvoyant ghost.’ I didn’t really think about what that meant then, but… that Prophet thing we saw back in the bunker… did it… did it tell you something? Is something going to happen?!”

“…Natsuki, I promise you, everything’s going to be fine. We’re going to make it through this,” Monika replied, trying to calm her companion down. The former president of the Literature Club flashed a confident smile, attempting to disguise her dishonesty. “I can handle Elli, okay? After all, apparently I’ve got superpowers!”

“…I don’t want you to die,” Natsuki suddenly stated, her incredibly measured tone catching Monika off-guard. Had her friend seen right through her lie? “So, y’know… don’t.”

“…Heh, I’ll do my best,” the former president replied as the pink-haired girl dashed towards the new hallway. Once Natsuki disappeared from sight, Monika’s hopeful smile turned into a guilty frown. “…But if I don’t, I hope Prophet only meant one of us wasn’t making it out of here alive…”

“…Who are you talking to?” Elli asked, her casual pose indicating she’d been standing next to Monika for a little bit. The emerald-eyed girl, startled, acted on pure reflex and kicked the white-haired girl in the right shin with every bit of strength her leg could muster.

As Elli grabbed her limb in pain and hissed out a curse, the former club president sprinted to the opposite end of the room and took cover behind the metal desk, knocking a folding chair out of the way in the process. Despite all her brave words to Natsuki, Monika didn’t have a single idea left in her head for dealing with the impending threat. The brown-haired girl silently acknowledged to herself that she hadn’t thought this through; she still didn’t believe she had some kind of inhuman ability and, even if she did, the former president doubted that whatever it was could affect a living being.

“…You have to understand, I don’t want to do this. He needs me to,” the electrokinetic stated as she released her leg and began approaching Monika’s hiding place. Though she was speaking softly, her words still echoed throughout the metal chamber. “I’m not stupid, I… I get that Warden’s just using me because I’m powerful, but you… No, you can’t understand; you’ve had everything. A real room, sunlight, friends, and Darwin’s… attention. I was left in a box underground, forgotten, for so long. I was…”

Elli paused, both her tirade and approach, unwilling to let tears betray any further weakness than she already allowing. Monika desperately rummaged through the desk drawers in search of something she could use to defend herself, finding only stacks of old documents and several unsharpened pencils.

“…I was just another monster to lock away, even if he won’t admit it!” Elli managed to say, her emotions finally breaking through her cold exterior. The former club president was uncertain why her adversary was telling her all this; maybe the guilty girl was trying to justify her actions, or maybe she just didn’t have anyone else to talk to. “My p-parents said they’d always be there for me! And now they’re gone! Darwin promised to let me go one day! But it was either my cell or an island in the middle of fucking nowhere! Warden’s the only person in my life who’s never lied to me! And he’s all I have left! He’s… he’s my everything! You could never understand what that feels like! No one can!”

Monika could hear electricity crackling, and the brown-haired couldn’t blame the white-haired girl for how she felt. Elli revealed a lot about herself just now, including something that – based on what Yuri once told the former club president – meant Darwin wasn’t being truthful about Elli’s supposed desire to remain in the bunker. Whether it was a deliberate lie or not didn’t matter right now, because the electrokinetic also gave away a means of stopping her.

“…I know exactly what that feels like,” Monika said as she slowly stood back up, her hands raised in the air. Now that the brown-haired girl could see her, Elli’s confused expression was somehow more prominent than her wet eyes. “That’s exactly how I used to feel about Darwin. All that obsession, desperation… it’s as if a part of you is incomplete, and you hate yourself for ever feeling that way. It… it’s so unhealthy. I nearly destroyed everything precious in my life, for nothing. Please, just… let me help you learn from my mistakes, before it’s too late.”

Monika lowered her arms and offered the white-haired villain the most compassionate smile her terrified mind could muster. Seeing this gesture of goodwill, Elli placed her hands against her eyes and began to quietly weep. At that moment, Monika could finally see the little girl who never quite left the park that fateful day.

“Y-you do understand… You’re r-right; it’s a toxic feeling, and you can n-never truly escape it… Thank you, Monika,” the young woman said through her sobs, while also almost chuckling, as the emerald-eyed girl finally allowed herself to relax. Then, once the hands fell away from Elli’s visage, Monika again saw the broken creature underneath. “Now I know keeping you two apart is the right thing to do.”

Lightning burst forth from the white-haired girl’s fingers as she electromagnetically threw the desk across the room. The piece of metal furniture hit a nearby wall with a percussive clang, before falling onto the ground with an equally loud crash. Monika fell backwards in fright, which she followed up by scooting away from her attacker as quickly as possible. It wasn’t long until her back hit the wall behind her; the emerald-eyed girl’s frantic efforts barely increasing the distance between the two of them.

“This will hurt, but only for a moment,” Elli almost whispered, her words barely audible over the crackling electricity arcing between her fingers. Monika wanted to cry out for help, but her throat was dry from terror. “Just close your eyes, and it’ll all be over soo– Hurk!”

The white-haired girl’s threats were suddenly interrupted by a blue tendril wrapping around her throat. Before the electrokinetic had a chance to register what was happening, her assailant lifted the quiet girl into the air and tossed her aside. Where Elli once stood, Monika now saw the familiar face – well, familiar half-face – of the lost member of the Literature Club.

“…E-Edward?” The brown-haired girl quietly asked, as if she was worried speaking too loudly would cause the creature to turn his ire towards the one who ruined his life. The boy stared at Monika with his all-too-human eye for an uncomfortable amount of time; it was as if he wanted to say something, yet didn’t know what. The fact that he didn’t have a mouth may have added to his hesitation.

Just as the former club president got back onto her feet, Elli suddenly body slammed Edward so fast that Monika almost wasn’t sure what she juw5 saw. Magnetically propelling herself across the metal floors, the electrokinetic crashed into a wall with her opponent, causing them both to spill onto the ground. The white-haired girl swiftly recovered and grabbed hold of the boy’s three tendrils, causing him to writhe in agony as pure electricity coursed through his body. If not for his inhuman nature, he probably would have died on the spot.

With her attacker distracted, a selfish thought entered Monika’s mind.  _I could just leave._ Edward already tried to kill her once, and she had no real reason to suspect he wouldn’t try again. For all she knew, he only saved her life so he could be the one to end it himself.

Yet, as Monika watched the poor boy thrash in pain, she remembered the desperation in Sayori’s voice when she begged her taller friend not take him from her again. It was that same memory that pushed the former club president to grab hold of the collapsible chair, sneak up behind Elli, and bashed it against her head.

The white-haired girl stumbled away from Edward, her visage expressing confusion over what just hit her. Before she had a chance to put the pieces together, the panicked Monika slammed the metal piece of furniture against her skull once more. This time Elli crumpled and collapse onto the ground like a discarded sack of flour.

The emerald-eyed girl stood over her foe for a little while longer, breathing heavily while still keeping her improvised weapon at the ready. Eventually, Monika cautiously approached Elli’s side and released a relieved sigh once she saw that her unconscious foe was still breathing.

Just as the brown-haired girl set the chair back on the ground, she was suddenly startled upon noticing the now upright Edward standing behind her. His stance didn’t indicate any hostility, yet he remained almost as still as a statue. Like was waiting for something.

“…I’m sorry,” Monika finally said, breaking the silence. “For everything. I didn’t just hurt you like I did the others; I treated you like you were insignificant. And that wasn’t just wrong morally, it was incorrect too. Sayori, Yuri, Natsuki, they all care about you. And I sincerely hope that, in time… I will too.”

Edward’s body remained unflinching throughout the former president’s apology, though his sole eye eventually wandered towards a nearby wall. His three tendrils gently touched the rusted surface, causing glowing letters to appear upon it. Monika drew closer so that she might read the boy’s strange method of communication.

**They care about both of us. So, for their sake, no more trying to kill each other?**

“…Heh, yeah, sounds good,” the emerald-eyed girl replied as the letters faded away. “Now, how about we go find our friends?”

Edward nodded in agreement, and the bizarre duo took off after their pink-haired cohort. Their diminishing stomps echoed throughout the metal room; though they were eventually followed by the footsteps of another pair of Literature Club members entering and leaving the rusted room. 

* * *

It took Natsuki a little while before she found Darwin, although she hadn’t exactly been keeping track of the time due to the ever-present sense of dread. Her closest friends and the love of her life were scattered, each dealing with dangers no one should ever have to face. Leaving her alone, sprinting towards an unknown destination

Distracted by her thoughts, the pink-haired girl might have run right past the one she was searching for, if not for the eye-catching white walls of the medical center.

Entering the unfamiliar space, Natsuki spied her immortal friend lying on a metal slab in the center of the room. It wasn’t until she got closer that she saw the medical tool sticking out of his eye socket, a trail of dried blood running down the side of his face. The pink-haired girl was almost grateful that she wasn’t becoming used to sights such as this, given that finding Darwin’s corpse made the co-vice president sick to her stomach.

Certain that time wasn’t on her side, Natsuki reluctantly pinched the object’s handle with her thumb and index finger. The metal instrument made a disgusting squelching noise as she slowly slid it out of his wound. The pink-haired girl did her best to suppress the urge to vomit.

Mercifully, the last of the scalpel was finally came loose. Natsuki unceremoniously dropped the item onto the tile floor below. The petite girl didn’t even wait for the immortal to wake up before she went to work removing his restraints. Just as she was about finished undoing the final strap, Darwin suddenly sat up and loudly gasped.

“Woah! It’s okay! You’re okay!” Natsuki quickly said, trying to calm her recently revived friend. The immortal was breathing rapidly and his injured eye, while healing, remained closed. “We don’t have a lot of time. Can you walk?”

The dirty blonde boy looked at his shorter compatriot briefly, before turning his gaze just past her. He raised his left index finger but didn’t say anything, his mind likely still recovering from the physical trauma. The pink-haired girl almost didn’t understand what he was doing, until she heard an audible click behind her head.

Natsuki hadn’t previously known the smell of a freshly oiled handgun, nor was she familiar with the various sounds one could make. She’d never forget these sensations, however, after turning around and finding herself almost face-to-face with a loaded revolver.

Warden had apparently snuck in behind her and was now reclining against the dusty countertop. He was smiling, but it wasn’t his ordinary sinister grin; it was more of an annoyed, almost defeated smirk. His right hand held the weapon that threatened to end the pink-haired girl in an instant, while his left held one of those medical jet injectors Natsuki had seen before in some movie or TV show. Atop it was a vial of some unknown, crimson fluid.

“…All of my robots are broken. I can’t contact any of my allies. Everything I built is falling apart, and the only reason I even found you is that I decided to grab one of these on my way out,” the hazel-eyed boy explained as he gently twirled the syringe gun between his fingers. “How is it that four juvenile girls managed to undo months of careful planning?”

“D-don’t…” Darwin tried to speak, but it was clearly a struggle. He started to move off of the table instead, to which Warden responded by simply straightening his arm holding the gun, stopping the dazed immortal almost instantly.

“There are at least two or three more people just like her in this bunker. She’s not irreplaceable. If you give me a reason to, I won’t hesitate to kill her. While you might not fear death, I’m betting she still does,” the baritone man said as his eyes wandered to the item in his left hand. “Not fearing death… I wonder what that feels like…”

With one swift, deliberate motion, the psychopath brought the injector up to his neck and pulled the trigger. Once its contents were depleted, the tool fell from Warden’s hand and clattered against the floor.

Nothing seemed to happen at first, and even the black-haired boy’s smile began to falter as he waited for results that never seemed to come. Then – without warning – Warden’s whole body shuddered, and his face winced as if he was in pain. He gripped the countertop with his free hand, as he struggled to keep his firearm pointed forward.

Natsuki’s body trembled in fear, matching the shaking of the weapon before her. After everything she faced thus far, everything she survived, would this be how she died? Victim of a twitchy trigger finger, killed by a bullet to the brain? Something about how pedestrian this death was, compared to everything else she’d seen, made it all the more terrifying. All the more real.

Eventually, Warden’s body calmed down. The psychopath slowly flashed his signature grin and then opened his eyes, their newfound appearance catching the other two occupants of the room by surprise. From the iris to the sclera, nearly every part except for his pupils were now various shades of gold.

“H-holy shit! I guess we must be the same blood type!” The baritone man exclaimed before raising his revolver and shooting Darwin in the chest. Startled, Natsuki turned around just in time to watch the immortal’s body drop to the floor, which gave Warden an opening to wrap his free arm around her neck. “Immortals make for shitty hostages, anyways.”

Just as the gold-eyed boy finished dragging the pink-haired girl outside of the room, they almost literally crashed into Monika and her inhuman companion. The psychopath swiftly turned to face them, keeping his gun trained on Natsuki’s right temple. The cold iron almost made the co-vice president shiver, yet her body remained still for fear of giving him cause to fire.

“Ah, the… unique ones. I was hoping I’d run into you two again,” the black-haired man stated as he began to slowly back away. The petite girl felt her captor’s left arm tense up, restricting her breathing. “Yet I’m afraid that I must take my leave. I’d rather not face any of my other escaped prizes today; I have this feeling they won’t be happy to see me.”

“O-okay, just… just take it easy,” Monika replied as calmly as she could, matching the man’s pace as she continued to move towards him. The new color of his eyes didn’t evade the former president’s notice, but her friend’s safety took priority over inquisitive thoughts. Edward’s pose was tense – ready to spring into action – yet he remained still, likely doubting he could move quick enough to grab her before the gun was fired. “Look, we don’t want anything to do with you. Just let her go, and we won’t stand in your way.”

“Heh… even after all my grandiose orating, you still don’t know anything about me. Did you think I joined APART for the amazing dental plan? It was never just about becoming special, like all of you. I needed to be part of this world. The real side of it, the one that matters,” Warden explained, though the emerald-eyed girl almost didn’t hear his words over the approaching footsteps. “But APART let me down. They wanted to hide every horrifically beautiful thing to protect some fantasy of a mundane existence. I bled for them, and they tried to keep all of this from me! So, I’ll be taking your friend along with me, since I’d rather not start my collection over from scra–”

“Natsuki!” A usually quiet voice cried out, as Yuri and Sayori swiftly approached the group. Fear coated the purple-haired girl’s visage, but her body froze up almost completely; it was the telltale pose of someone who desperately wanted to act but knew they couldn’t.

“So that’s what this was all about,” Darwin stated as he stumbled out of the medical center, right hand clutching his gunshot wound. The immortal hobbled his way towards the rest of the group, though he struggled to keep up with their pace. The other members of the Literature Club we so worried about Natsuki they hadn’t even noticed his injury. “You’re a narcissist who can’t stand not having the best toys… or handle the fact that there are things in this world that are better than you.”

“Well, the gang’s all here!” The baritone man declared as the corner of his smile twitched, a sign of his annoyance at the brown-eyed boy’s psychoanalysis.

The seven strange individuals soon reached the end of the hallway, where a single door awaited them. Warden – having apparently reached his destination – bashed the access panel behind him with his elbow, causing the pneumatic gateway to open.

The doorway led to a hanger for a black submersible craft, which hung from mechanical supports bolted to the concrete ceiling. Below the vehicle was a water channel which took up most of the room, leaving only the narrow walkway behind them to occupy the remaining space.

“You know, despite everything that’s transpired, I should really thank you four girls,” Warden said as he entered the room, making his way towards the control panel at the end of the walkway. “If your breakout hadn’t made me so desperate, I would’ve wasted so much time testing our immortal friend’s blood to make sure it was safe. So, as a sign of my gratitude that I no longer have to spend another second as an inferior version of myself, I promise to reunite you all just as soon as I find a new place to–”

Natsuki stopped paying attention to her captor’s tirade as a strange chill began to spread throughout her body. It started at her feet, and then swiftly moved through the rest of her like a sudden breeze. It wasn’t until Monika saw Prophet’s purple skin, upon spotting her intangible form rising out of the other girl’s pink hair, that at least someone realized what was transpiring.

“Boo,” the apparition said almost sardonically, though her unexpected appearance still seemed to be enough to startle Warden.

The petite girl slipped out of his grasp and, reacting purely on instinct, slammed her shoulder into her would-be-abductor’s abdomen. The gun flew from the black-haired boy’s hand as he fell into the water channel, the impact causing a loud splash that echoed throughout the room.

Warden swiftly rose back to the surface, rage coating his visage. He might have tried to climb the metal ladder and seek some manner of restitution, if not for the pair of scaled arms which grabbed him from behind.

In an instant, sharp claws raked across the flesh of Warden’s neck, causing golden blood to spill out of his exposed jugular. Shock replaced the boy’s angered expression more so than pain did, almost as if he was more surprised that he didn’t seem to be healing. The boy’s lips curled into a small, defeated smirk just as the life finally drained from his eyes.

Natsuki’s body trembled. She’d only wanted to get him away from her; yet, even after everything he’d done to her and those she loved, watching someone die like that was still pretty traumatizing. Especially so if you felt somehow responsible.

Abysmal’s head rose out of the water, and her black eyes stared at the pink-haired girl as if she was looking into her very soul. The metal plate was missing from her forehead, and the still-bleeding wounds left in its place indicated it was somehow torn out. Her cheekbones curled upwards as if she were smiling, despite lacking the lips to show it.

“Hmph, looks like I was wrong about your friends after all,” Natsuki winced as the mermaid’s voice appeared in her head; the lack of a similar response from her friends indicating she was the only recipient. “I look forward to when we meet again.”

Abysmal held tight onto Warden’s corpse and sunk into the water.

“…This one told you someone would die,” Prophet whispered, causing Monika to meet the apparition’s gaze. Before the other members of the Literature Club could realize who the spirit was talking to, she simply floated away and passed right through the ceiling.

“Well… that was anticlimactic,” Darwin stated, eliciting a surprised reaction from everyone else left in the room. “…What?”

“W-we just watched s-someone die,” the coral-haired girl whimpered, her whole body trembling from the kind of exhaustion one suffers when coming down from an adrenaline rush. “A-and that’s your reaction?”

“…I mean, he stabbed me in the head… and shot me…” The immortal muttered as he limped towards the nearby control panel. “And, because of him, you almost all died…”

“…Yeah, we did,” Monika whispered, echoing Sayori’s words the last time they nearly met an untimely end.

The former club president turned to the current one, their eyes meeting, and a silent agreement was exchanged between them. Countless lies, frightening encounters, and near-death experiences had finally taken their toll. Both girls knew they couldn’t let this go on any longer.

The duo then turned to Natsuki and Yuri, who also shared their worried – yet certain – expressions. All four of them had pondered, to some extent or another, what their futures would hold and whether or not the immortal would play a role in it. Now, they were each certain of at least the latter half.

“Now then, let’s see if we can get this thing running and get back to the bunker,” Darwin said to himself as he began messing with the control panel. “…Our bunker, I mean.”

“…Darwin, we’re not going back,” Monika, having finally found the courage she needed, firmly stated. The immortal looked up from his work, confusion and shock present upon his visage. “You’re right, we almost died. Again. And if this is what life with you is going to be like… well, then I don’t we can do this anymore.”

“You’ll always be our friend,” Sayori promised, a sorrowful smile adorning her face. “But it’s not safe for us to be with you, and we deserve a chance to have a life of our own. It’s time we find out how Monika, Yuri, Natsuki, and Sayori fare as… ordinary girls.”

The brown-eyed boy looked to the other two women. The usually bashful Yuri’s gaze was practically steely. The one who almost lost her beloved to the whims of a madman had the eyes of someone that felt no shame in this choice.

Conversely, the usually brash Natsuki was staring at the floor. The person who once was the most suspect of the immortal was now the guiltiest at the thought of leaving him alone again. Still, she didn’t raise any objections; her hands were still shaking with fright.

The immortal’s eyes went dull, as his scattered brain became lost in the myriad of thoughts swarming his mind. Natsuki needed a home where she could feel safe, Yuri needed to make sure those she cared for wouldn’t have to fear the unnatural wonders she once adored, Sayori needed to be the leader her friends required, and Monika needed to find a new purpose for her life.

Darwin knew all of this to be true. And even if he didn’t want them to go, he also knew they wouldn’t meet any of these goals by his side.

Considering all the horrors they’ve experienced in this reality, and everything they’ve lost along the way, how could they not want to leave?

Darwin sighed softly as he flipped a switch on the control panel, causing the submersible to fall into the channel below. Several droplets of water splashed onto everyone’s faces, though most of them barely reacted. The brown-eyed boy scratched the side of his face, as he silently acknowledged what had to be done.

“…I, um… You’ll still need a ride out of this place,” Darwin managed to say as he tried not to shed tears that felt unearned. The four girls collective relaxed, grateful to find this process wouldn’t be more painful than it needed to be, though none of them felt good about this ending. “And then… then we’ll figure something for you guys out. After that, we can say… goodbye.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah past W-Guy, you foolishly assumed this would be the last part of this story.
> 
> We are honestly close to the end, I just realized the epilogue would be just long enough to warrant a separate post. Hopefully that should be out in a week or two!


	16. Epilogue

A set of keys jangled in Monika’s hand, as she stood outside a wooden door. The longest of the metal instruments slid into the old brass lock perfectly, like they were made for each other. Which, obviously, they were; just not only in the literal sense.

They were her keys, to her apartment. And something about that felt so right.

The emerald-eyed girl opened the gateway to her new home, her feet leaving the coir welcome mat as she stepped inside, and she was almost immediately bombarded by a cacophony of sounds and smells. Natsuki and Sayori were cooking and… well, arguing would imply they were fighting about something. It was more like the pink-haired girl was throwing a tantrum, while the club president simply didn’t understand what the problem was.

“But tonight’s my night to cook!” Sayori exclaimed, her tone and expression indicating confusion rather than annoyance. She and Yuri were sporting the same casual outfits they wore in the game, while Natsuki was wearing the red and black uniform of a local grocery store. A matching hat lay discarded near the front door.

The kitchen and living room spaces ran together somewhat, the only distinction that they were supposed to be different rooms was the switch from olive green carpeting to hardwood flooring. The cooking area also looked more recently renovated, each appliance was shiny and somehow smelled new. The sun shone softly through the window above the sink, allowing for minimal use of the overhead light fixtures.

The other space was a little bit dingier, as well as more sparsely decorated. In the center of the room was a small table, where Yuri was reading a book and enjoying a cup of tea. The piece of furniture was so low to the ground that the gothic woman was forced to sit on her legs, which – considering they didn’t own any chairs – was at least appropriate. Near the wall opposite to the kitchen was the second (and only other) window as well as an old, somewhat worn out sofa, which currently doubled as the former club president’s bed.

“I know that! But you put cooking oil on the pan while the flame was still burning! You could’ve hurt yourself! Or worse, set our apartment on fire! Then we’d never get our security deposit back!” The pink-eyed girl chided, though her slight grin betrayed her humorous intent, causing the coral-haired girl to press her index fingers together and pout. “Clearly you need the help of a master chef, such as myself.”

“…I was always under the impression that you saw yourself as more of a baker,” Monika wryly added, causing the petite girl’s trademark smirk to be swiftly replaced by an embarrassed blush. Out of the corner of her eye, the brown-haired girl spotted Yuri pulling up the number for a local pizza place on her phone, just in case.

“Yeah well, my bastard of a dad stopped cooking for me after a while. So, I had to learn how in order to make a meal out of whatever food was left in the fridge each night, y’know?” The shortest girl retorted, though she didn’t seem upset as she told her friends this unpleasant truth. She wasn’t trying to make Monika regret teasing her, she was just stating a fact. It showed how comfortable Natsuki felt around her friends, even if her explanation did make things a little awkward. “…Also, welcome back. How was the job interview?”

“A-ah, it was… certainly an interview,” Monika muttered; while she was grateful the shorter girl realized the effect her statement had and quickly changed the subject, the emerald-eyed girl didn’t completely appreciate being reminded of the most embarrassing part of her day.

Monika strode to the back of the room and hung up her black coat in the closet – under which she was wearing a white button-up shirt and gray pants – which rested above the curled-up sleeping bag Sayori slept in each night. Next to this storage space were two more doorways, leading to the last remaining rooms in their tiny domicile.

The one on the right went to the restroom, where the shower, sink, and toilet were almost dangerously close together. On the left was the only actual bedroom, where a single mattress – shared by Natsuki and Yuri – took up most of the space.

“The downside of us being characters from a video game? No exposure to trademarked names; at least ones that weren’t in the simulation” the brown-haired girl explained as she plopped onto the couch. “The lesson I learned today? Make sure to Google the place you’re thinking of working at before you get an interview there.”

“…So ‘Hooters’ wasn’t an owl sanctuary like we all suspected?” The gothic woman asked; the way Monika almost aggressively shook her head provided all the answer Yuri needed. “Well, fret not! I’m certain we’ll each find employment soon. We’ve only been in this quaint little town for a week and we’ve already accomplished so much! Such as… um, well… my darling found a job!”

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Natsuki groaned as she expertly stirred chopped chicken and veggies into the frying pan before her, which sizzled satisfyingly. The emerald-eyed girl had to hand it to her; even if the petite girl couldn’t reach the highest shelves without some assistance, she legitimately knew her way around the kitchen. “Retail is the worst! If one more crusty old dude calls me ‘sweetheart,’ I’m gonna start finding really creative ways to inflict bodily harm on the elderly!”

“…Well, please try not to do that until another one of us finds a job. We can’t afford you getting fired right now,” Sayori added as she leaned against the countertop; her smile returning as she witnessed one of Natsuki’s amusing tirades. “We still have some of the starting money Darwin gave us, but we should try to avoid relying on it.”

“Heh, fine. Since you asked so nicely,” the pink-eyed girl chuckled, before turning off the stovetop burner. “Alright, dinner’s on.”

“T-that fast?! It’s only been a few minutes!” the coral-haired girl exclaimed, causing Natsuki to flash her a quizzical expression.

“Yeah, sautéing food doesn’t usually take very… exactly how long were you planning on cooking it for?” The co-vice president asked as she transferred the food to four small plates.

“…Heh, I guess I did need the help of a master chef after all,” Sayori meekly responded while pressing her index fingers together again, as Monika and Yuri both tried their best not to laugh _too_ hard at their leader’s expense.

The remaining three girls each took a spot around the table and began chowing down. The former club president wasn’t surprised that the food was rich and flavorful; this dish was just as wonderful as the previous one Natsuki made for them.

The quartet exchanged idle chit chat, discussing how each of their days went, as the sun began to set. It was the perfect end to the evening. Yet – for Monika – there was still this inescapable bittersweet feeling, which she had a hunch the other girls shared.

The Literature Club was over. The hectic week they’ve spent setting up their new home and looking for work didn’t allow them much time to exchange poetry or otherwise discuss any literary texts. They were no longer in school – nor left directionless in an underground bunker – and it just seemed right to leave that part of themselves behind, even if the quartet knew they’d miss it.

Yet there was a reason the bitter didn’t overpower the sweet in this case, as each of their genuine smiles showed. This was completely uncharted territory, and that can be both scary and a cause for sorrow. Yet Monika was certain she and her friends will thrive here, for the exact same reason their bond only grew stronger after they first entered this new reality.

What made the Literature Club special wasn’t the activities they carried out nor the location it was held, it was the people who took part in it. And even though it’s always hard to say goodbye to something so important, letting go of the club would finally allow each one of them to finally leave behind their painful pasts.

Before they had been bound by the digital trappings of a traumatizing game, and because all this unusual quartet were each other. They were still together now because they chose to be. Because they loved each other so much.

After dinner, Yuri went right to work washing the dishes. It was her turn for this chore; Natsuki wasn’t interested in butting in this time, as being the first one with access to the shower was her reward for performing Sayori’s scheduled task.

Speaking of their coral-haired friend, whom Monika was sharing the couch with, the blue-eyed girl was staring out the window right behind her; her head resting in her arms, which were lying atop the back cushions. She didn’t look upset, but the taller girl could tell she we deep in a not-necessarily happy thought. Monika turned herself around on the sofa so that she might share her friend’s view.

Milford was usually peaceful at this time of night, and their apartment was at just the right vantage point to see everything that made it so appealing. It wasn’t exactly a small town, but it wasn’t a big one either. It was the kind of place where trees grew beside historic Connecticut buildings, while channels leading to the ocean practically snaked their way throughout the city.

It was scenic and beautiful, but the biggest draw was that it’s one of the few places in the world that’s completely monster free. At least that’s according to Darwin, which is why he suggested they start their new lives here.

Granted, the water is always a risk considering the many aquatic creatures out there, especially with Abysmal back in the wild. Still, that only meant the four girls had to agree to stay on the dry part of the nearby beach if they found the time to visit. Otherwise, it was perfect.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Monika asked, almost startling Sayori out of her stupor.

“Oh… I don’t think our current budget would allow that,” the coral-haired girl joked, causing both of them to chuckle. Still, even with her humorous efforts, it was obvious the shorter girl was troubled. “…I don’t know. I guess I’m just worried about everyone we kinda… left behind.”

“I still can’t believe you made friends with Speed Demon,” the emerald-eyed girl added. “Honestly, if Yuri hadn’t also been there, I would’ve assumed you were messing with me.”

“Heh, that’s fair… I wish he would’ve come with us,” Sayori lamented while running her right hand over the couch’s coarse fabric. “Granted, I know we can’t exactly hide a lava monster in our apartment. But when Yuri and I went to find Darwin – and he, unsurprisingly, didn’t want to help us with that – I figured he’d somehow find us again after leading the other monsters out of the prison.”

“I get that, though I’m willing to bet he’s fine. He’s not exactly helpless,” Monika said reassuringly, though she could plainly see this wasn’t the only worry on her friend’s mind. “I’m guessing you’re also thinking about Edward?”

“How could I not? I mean, we get back to the bunker and he just vanishes? And he’s had even less time to adjust to this reality than we have!” The blue-eyed girl was becoming a little louder now, and the brown-haired girl was a touch concerned their conversation might disturb the neighbors, but getting these worries off her chest did seem to be helping. “And, of course, there’s Darwin…”

“…Are you having second thoughts about any of this?” Monika asked, catching Sayori off-guard. “I know we all made the decision to leave, but I’m sure you could call him if you–”

“I… I don’t think that’s a good idea right now. We all need more time… to process everything, him included,” Sayori suddenly interjected, despite still sounding hesitant. “Plus, it’s just not him. I mean, we just left the bunker and haven’t spoken to any of our other friends since then. Ace, Omi, Bernadette– okay she’s not really a friend, but I’m just… wondering what happened to everyone else.”

“…Heh, that’s very like you. Always thinking about the people you care about are doing, rather than worrying about how you’re doing,” the emerald-eyed girl added, causing her friend to blush slightly. “I was going to make a joke that you’ve got boys on the brain and probably need to go on a date, but the fact that you’re thinking about girls too means that wouldn’t have worked… Actually, wait, I guess I shouldn’t assume you don’t like–”

“I– I don’t… not like girls!” Sayori exclaimed, her face now a much deeper shade of crimson. “But… admittedly, dating someone does sound like a fun… distraction.”

“Heh, then that’s our next mission! Don’t worry, I’m pretty sure I’ll make a great wingman,” Monika confidently stated with a wink.

“O-oh! That’s… good,” the shorter girl replied, her somewhat disappointed tone soaring over Monika’s head, just as Natsuki stepped out of the bathroom.

“Alright, you’re up Monika,” The petite girl said, now sporting pink and white pajamas, while her work clothes were bundled up under her right arm. “I can’t guarantee there’s any hot water left though.”

“Heh, no worries,” the brown-haired girl replied as she rose off the sofa and headed towards the lavatory. “I’m more of a morning shower person anyways.”

Monika closed the wooden door behind her and began to undo the buttons on her shirt. She paused before finishing the second one as she stared at herself in the medicine cabinet mirror, thinking about just how little time she’s had to herself these last few days. Gingerly, the former club president pulled her phone out of her pants pocket and placed it onto a small glass shelf just above the sink.

The brown-haired girl closed her eyes and tried to silence her thoughts. A part of Monika felt she was being ridiculous, that there’s no way this would be anything more than a waste of time, but another part of her was too curious not to try. She reached out with her mind and concentrated on her cell, which she hadn’t turned back on since the interview.

When Monika opened her eyes again, her phone’s screen was now lit up.

 _No_ , the young woman thought to herself as she took the device in her hands, _somehow she turned it back on. Natsuki was right._

Even in this quiet, quaint little town, they couldn’t escape the truth of this unusual world. In this case, they even brought it with them. There was a whole new side of Monika that she was going to have to uncover, but at least she wouldn’t have to figure it all out on her own.

The four girls who left Doki Doki Literature Club behind them didn’t have much of a life thus far. There were no spider-bots to clean up after them, no machines to create any item or food they desired, no massive private library to enjoy, no teleporting vans to take them anywhere they wished, and not even any heated bathroom floors. They barely had one bed to share between them.

But it’s still theirs’, so it’s a start. 

* * *

Darwin smoothed the paper out with his right hand, helping the adhesive bind it to the concrete wall.

The immortal took a step back, surveying his handiwork. Two new posters adorned the formerly empty space adjacent to his bed. While the subject matter was the same, one of Captain America and the other Superman, these featured a more modern art style compared to their predecessors.

The old posters were curled up underneath Darwin’s desk; he wasn’t sure what to do with them yet. It felt wrong to just throw them out, given how long he’d had them for. Yet, the brown-eyed boy asked himself, wasn’t the point of this experiment to learn how to let go?

“They look nice,” a familiar voice emanated from just outside Darwin’s doorway. Though the Ace’s sudden presence didn’t startle him, it would be a lie to say the brown-eyed boy was expecting company. “Though I’ve always been more of a Batman girl, myself.”

“Heh, of course you are… You know it’s considered rude to drop by unannounced, right?” Darwin humorously asked while pulling out his desk chair and taking a seat.

“I’m a sex demon. I’m not exactly known for my manners,” the succubus replied as she plopped onto his bed. “Doesn’t make me a bad friend though, since I’m here to see how you’re doing after all.”

“Are these billable hours?” The immortal’s query was met with an uncertain shrug, causing the both of them to laugh. “Heh… to be honest, I’m alright. I’m still used to spending my days alone, so I’m not lonely or anything right now. Just maybe a little… disappointed, I guess.”

“Tell me about that,” Ace said as she sat upright, switching almost seamlessly from old pal to trusted confidant.

“…After bringing four people into this reality and going through so much with them, do you know how it changed my life?” Darwin asked, not even waiting for an answer before he gestured to the project he finished mere moments ago. “I finally changed those old posters. I was… I was hoping I was wrong about what I once told you. But I wasn’t. I found people I could care about again, I lost them, and I still haven’t changed. And now Cynthia’s out there somewhere, planning God knows what. I’ve upgraded my firewalls to keep her out, but I’m sure this isn’t the last I’ve seen of her…”

“…I’m going to offer you some advice and, since I’m a therapist, you should definitely take it,” the succubus eventually replied, causing the immortal to raise a quizzical eyebrow. “You have a habit of falling into a rut whenever you feel… a lack of control. Whether it be over your environment, other people… or life and death. It’s like your safety net. I think that’s why you once made it your mission to protect mankind from people like us in the first place, it let you feel in control. I… I know it’s never been something you loved doing, but maybe returning to your old ways – if you do them a different way – is exactly what you need right now.”

Darwin’s scattered mind became lost in thought, as he tried to wrap his head around exactly what his friend meant. The immortal was so distracted he wouldn’t have seen the succubus exiting the room if she hadn’t spoken back up.

“Anyways, I think I’m going to walk around the bunker for a bit. Reminisce about our good times and all that,” Ace explained as she lingered just outside the doorway. “I’ll show myself out when I’m ready to leave… Good luck Darwin, I’m sure you’ll figure it all out. Be sure to call me if you need anything.”

With that, the demoness walked away; her footsteps echoing throughout the concrete hallway. The brown-eyed boy soon switched from his chair to his bed, resting his back against the pillow learning on the headboard.

Darwin sighed deeply as an inkling of an idea entered his mind. The immortal then removed the phone from his pocket, feeling its light, yet somehow still significant weight in his hand.

Scrolling through his contacts, the brown-eyed boy quickly located the name of someone whom he’s never actually called before. His thumb hovered hesitantly over the “dial” button.

Though he was uncertain if this was even the right thing to do, Darwin couldn’t see any other solution to his lack of direction. Maybe this wasn’t what Ace meant for her old friend to do, but it was the only thing that made any sense to him at this juncture.

Darwin pressed the name on the screen, brought the device up to his face, and after two short rings was immediately greeted by a firm – yet familiar – voice.

“Hey Bernadette, I wanted to– No, don’t worry about how I got your private phone number, it’s not important,” the immortal said before pausing and scratching the side of his face with his free hand. “So… I was wondering… Is that job offer still on the table?”

Darwin was so distracted by his conversation, that he didn’t even notice the sound of tiny metal legs skittering away.

* * *

A lone spider-bot scurried down the concrete hallway; and no, it was in neither of the locations you were thinking of.

There were no fluorescent lights buzzing overhead to illuminate its path. Instead, the space was bathed in the blue glow of row after row of computer monitors coating the surface of almost every wall. Each screen showed an image of an entirely different location, ranging from a U.S. Senate hearing to the inside of some unknown person’s private residence.

Otherwise, the concrete chamber was bare, save for a single metal chair at the back of the room. The space was shared by three people, one of whom should be very familiar. The white-haired Elli, sitting in a little crook between two screens, resisted some childish urge to kick the metal arachnid as it scuttled over her left foot.

One of the screens before her was playing a recording of Warden’s death on loop. Elli asked to see it, and she hasn’t stopped watching it since she arrived. Each time her former master’s blood was spilled, her breathing became almost as sharp as her newfound sense of purpose.

The second figure should also be familiar to us, but for all the wrong reasons. In the azure light of this stone catacomb, the shy girl almost killed him the moment her eyes could perceive him.

From head to toe, this man looked almost exactly like Darwin.

It only took Elli a few more seconds of observation to realize why “almost” was the operative word here. His skin had a certain plasticity to it, in both look and texture, which she discovered when she wrapped her hands around his throat. His irides were an inhuman red – instead of brown – and they had an almost perfect sheen to them, like the polished chassis of a vintage car.

This man hasn’t spoken at all since the electrokinetic arrived, even when he was under attack. He hasn’t even blinked once in the entire time she’s been here.

Whatever this thing was, it most decidedly wasn’t the immortal. It was somehow actually less human than Darwin was.

“Every day, I imagine a future where I can be with you,” the final figure sang as the spider-bot crawled up the side of the chair, which was facing a collection of larger monitors at the back of the room. Her voice was a familiar sound to Elli, but it was slightly off. It was as if it was being played through a speaker; specifically, one that’s been misused. “In my hand is a pen that will write a poem of me and you…”

Once the mechanical arachnid had reached the top of the metal armrest, a white hand reached out and gently pet the machine. Not white like Caucasian, mind you. It was more like a mannequin’s hand; monocolored and lacking detail.

It wasn’t just that her skin was strange, because it wasn’t even skin to begin with. The immortal doppelgänger at least had an epidermis, fake though it might be. Hers was more like a shell, durable and cold.

As she rubbed the metal creature, the third figure continued to hum along to a song the electrokinetic didn’t recognize.

Though she couldn’t see all of them, the white-haired girl could tell her host was watching the footage of the bunker break-in. Each scene played out on a different screen, playing over and over again. Elli and her allies sneaking in through the access tunnel, spider-bots chasing after the four girls, and the half-man nearly dying by Monika’s hand.

“It’s a shame Edward failed; after I went to so much trouble to bring him into this world and… reprogram him. Still, he’s always been worthless, so I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised,” the third entity said to no one in particular, as the mechanical arachnid crawled across her arm and vanished behind the back of the chair. There was no malice in her voice; she was simply stating something she honestly believed to be true. “…What’s different about these four girls? What do they have that we– that I… lack?”

“It’s funny, my being here,” Elli said sharply, her usual quiet voice mired in agitation. “Given that you’re each wearing the face of a person I despise.”

“Yes, but we wear them so much better. Also, I’d watch your tone if I were you. You might think yourself powerful, but I can assure you that my companion is more than capable of disposing of you, should we tire of your… company,” the mystery woman threatened, her voice still maintaining its peaceful tone. Though the false Darwin had been staring off into space before, the white-haired girl did notice that now it was looking right at her. His emotionless gaze sent chills down her spine. “Besides, you came to us for help, and I’m sure it’s obvious by now that our mutual foe isn’t so easily beaten… at least when he’s not alone.”

The old chair swiveled around, allowing Elli to face her host. The rest of her body was the same color as her hand, though her joins had more of a dark gray hue. She wasn’t wearing any clothing, but her unearthly form wasn’t technically naked either.

However, it was her face that caught the electrokinetic’s attention when they first met. Her mane was a metallic silver, yet each strand moved with the same weight as real human hair. Her eyes were literally glowing, though the color reminded Elli of one of those blue screens of death you’d get on old computers. There were also small cracks running across her visage, like wrinkles betraying an older person’s true age.

Yet, these inhuman details weren’t the strangest part. Instead, it was the way in which she did look human; like one the white-haired girl knew in particular. The shape of her chin and nose. The curve of her lips. The way she even tied her hair up in a white bow.

There was no mistaking it, she looked just like Monika.

“You’ll have your chance for revenge, I can promise you that, but we cannot move against them blindly,” the blue-eyed facsimile reassured, as she continued to pet the spider-bot now sitting in her lap. “I’ve been cut off from the bunker’s systems. I barely had time to rescue this little one. Fortunately, he’s more than willing to return to favor.”

Almost as if on cue, the metal arachnid stood up and a familiar voice began to emanate from it. The recording was a little quiet, like it was taken from a not-insignificant distance, but there was no mistaking who was speaking.

_“Hey Bernadette, I wanted to– No, don’t worry about how I got your private phone number, it’s not important… So… I was wondering… Is that job offer still on the table?”_

“Heh, I’d say that gives us a place to start, wouldn’t you?” The android asked without waiting for an answer. Her chair turned back towards the back wall of screens, before she resumed humming her simple little song.

“…Whatever you say… Cynthia,” Elli muttered, as she herself went back to looking at the security video playing before her; electricity arcing between her fingers almost impatiently.

The white-haired girl’s resolve was strengthened each time she saw that monster ripping Warden’s throat open. Abysmal may have been the one who murdered her only friend, and the mermaid would know the electrokinetic’s wrath someday, yet Darwin’s mere existence was still to blame for another loss in Elli’s life.

That storm robbed her of everything she loved. The immortal stole her hope of a normal life, while he and his friends took the last shred of mercy the white-haired girl had inside her. She made a mistake trying to be kind to those four girls before. Next time she saw them, they would discover the terror of facing someone with nothing left to lose.

“…And in your reality, if I don’t know how to love you,” Cynthia sang once more, her electronic voice echoing throughout the concrete chamber. Somehow, the young girl knew the creaking coming from behind the metal chair was the sound of the facsimile’s synthetic lips curling into a smile. “...You’ll soon see me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it's been a long time coming, but we're finally here. The end of the first book of Stranger Than Fiction!
> 
> This has been a fun, challenging, and crazy project. I want to thank everyone who's followed along with this story thus far, and I hope you stick around to see what happens next to the quartet, Darwin, and the rest of the gang!
> 
> Now, for a life update. I've currently started an internship at a comic book company, which is the biggest break of my career's had in a long time. It's only three days a week and I had to quit my old part-time job to pursue it, so I'm not quite sure how this will affect my writing schedule. Some days I'll have more free time than before, some days I won't have any at all. I also plan to take a few days off from writing this series just to gather my thoughts for the second book and to get ready for my next semester. A small hiatus, but I promise it won't be a huge break.
> 
> Thank you all again for taking the time to read such a lengthy series. It really means to world to me that people have an interest in my writing, and I look forward to bringing you more stories in the future! :)


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